The men on the moon are back inside their module, Eagle, recovering from their exertions on the surface. The module is not due to lift off for nearly 6 hours. A report now from Peter Watson in our Apollo studio:
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin are in so-called rest period at the moment; so-called because the cramped quarters of the Eagle landing-vehicle on the Sea of Tranquillity, however large they may have looked on television, don't allow the crew to lie down. Lift-off engine fuel tanks and instruments leave little room for people, and the word from Dr Kenneth Beer, one of the medical team at Mission Control, is that instruments show Armstrong to be dozing but not sleeping soundly. There was no word on Aldrin because he's not connected to ground monitors.
However, the latest information from Houston is that all systems on 'Eagle' and on the Command Module, 'Columbia', orbiting the moon, piloted by Michael Collins, are in perfect condition.
21 July 1969. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin spent approximately 21.5 hours on the lunar surface, about 2.5 hours of which were spent outside the Lunar Module. After Armstrong had stepped onto the Moon's surface he was joined about 20 minutes later by Aldrin. They planted a flag and spoke to President Nixon by radio link-up. The astronauts also conducted a number of experiments, which included collecting some soil samples, taking photographs and setting up instruments to record the seismic activity on the Moon.
Then they re-entered the Lunar Module, discarded some of the equipment they no longer needed and settled down to a period of rest lasting about 7 hours.
This BBC News report clip was recorded during the rest period and notes that Armstrong appears to be dozing, while Aldrin is unconnected to his sensors.
Images sourced from NASA.
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