'A-OK!'

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

SPLASHDOWN. The Apollo 11 astronauts exited from the command module after a safe landing on July 24, 1969. The mission lasted 195 hours,18 minutes and 35 seconds--just about eight days--and they traveled 952,700 nautical miles.

After reuniting with the Command Module and its pilot, Michael Collins, the Apollo 11 astronauts began the long journey home. At 12:56 a.m. on July 22, while on the back side of the Moon, the module's rockets were fired, putting it on a course toward Earth.

HI, HONEY. The astronauts greet their wives from a quarantine trailer after arriving back on Earth.

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

Shortly after noon on July 24, the command and service modules separated and the spacecraft plunged into the Earth's atmosphere. At 12:51 p.m., with its parachutes billowing, Apollo splashed down 825 nautical miles southwest of Honolulu--a short 13 nautical miles from the recovery ship, the U.S.S. Hornet. Within minutes, Navy frogmen arrived and sprayed the emerging astronauts with disinfectants to guard against any possible Moon "germs."

On the Hornet, the Apollo astronauts moved immediately to a mobile quarantine trailer, where they remained until they arrived at the Lunar Receiving Laboratory in Houston early on July 27. Through its small windows, they were greeted by their wives and colleagues, and received a dinner invitation from President Nixon. They responded with the the thumbs-up, A-OK sign of military pilots.

The public did not hear the astronauts' stories first hand until a press conference held on August 12.

Images: NASA

Back to The Eagle Has Landed Go to THE AFTERMATH

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American