If you were around on July 20th, 1969 then you were probably one of the 650 million that watched Apollo 11 land safely on the moon. It’s now been over 50 years and we’re still fascinated by the whole thing. Here are some lesser-known moments about one of the most epic United States efforts.
Moon Cooties
Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins arrived home on July 27th, 1969 had to quarantine for over two weeks because NASA feared they could be covered in dangerous lunar microorganisms. While this sounds like something straight out of a sci-fi movie, it wasn’t until 21 days after landing on the moon that astronauts were able to walk freely, right into a room full of reporters.
Try Sears
The American flag that was placed on the moon was manufactured by Sears BUT NASA wanted to keep this on the low low. Why you ask? In a word: Tang. Because Tang was advertised and gained popularity as ideal for zero-gravity and gained popularity as ideal for zero-gravity consumption it skyrocketed in popularity in the early 1960s. Now NASA was behind the rising popularity of these drinks, but they had no desire to have yet another campaign based on the astronaut’s use of commercial products, so mum was the wold on the Sears flag.
Smelly Moon
In case you didn’t know because, ya know, you’ve never been to the moon, moon soil is extremely clingy. Once astronauts got back to their lunar module, they reported it smelling like wet fireplace ashes or the air after a fireworks show.
Astronauts: They’re Just Like Us
As Aldrin exited the lunar module, he did so with caution because he feared the door would pressurize shut behind him. The problem being that the door latched from the inside making it impossible to open from the outside. Luckily all was well and the door was fine. But if you’ve ever been afraid you locked your keys in your vehicle, then you know the feeling. Kind of.
Play Among the Stars
Sinatra fans will appreciate knowing that Aldrin played the Chairman’s hit, ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ while on this mission. Already a classic, some believed it was immortalized after Aldrin played this cassette version on his NASA-issued cassette player. Sinatra was thrilled to hear the news, rightfully so, and once the astronauts were home, out of quarantine, and ready to celebrate, there was a BBQ held in their honor with an opening speech by none other than old blue eyes himself.