JULY 19, 1969
6:58 a.m.- Astronauts call Mission Control to inquire about scheduled coursecorrection and are told it has been cancelled. They are also advised they maygo back to sleep.
8:32 a.m.- Mission Control signals to arouse crew and to start them onbreakfast and housekeeping chores.
10:01 a.m.- Astronauts are given review of day's news and are told ofworldwide interest in Moon mission.
10:31 a.m.- Collins reports: "Houston, it's been a real change for us.Now we are able to see stars again and recognize constellations for the firsttime on the trip. The sky is full of stars, just like the nights on Earth. Butall the way here we have just been able to see stars occasionally and perhapsthrough binoculars, but not recognize any star pattern."
10:42 a.m.- Armstrong announces: "The view of the Moon that we've beenhaving recently is really spectacular. It about three-quarters of the hatchwindow and, of course, we can see the entire circumference, even though part ofit is in complete shadow and part of it's in earth-shine. It's a view worth theprice of the trip."
12:58 p.m.- The crew is informed by Mission Control: "We're 23 minutesaway from the LOI (Lunar Orbit Insertion) burn. Flight Director CliffCharlesworth is polling flight controllers for its status now." Thenquickly, seconds later: "You are go for L0I." Aldrin replies:"Roger, go for LOI."
1:13 p.m.- Spacecraft passes completely behind the Moon and out of radiocontact with the Earth for the first time.
1:28 p.m.- The spacecraft's main rocket, a 20,500-pound-thrust engine, isfired for about six minutes to slow the vehicle so that it can be captured bylunar gravity. It is still behind the Moon. The resulting orbit ranges from alow of 61.3 nautical miles to a high of 168.8 nautical miles.
1:55 p.m.- Armstrong tells Mission Control: "We're getting this firstview of the landing approach. This time we are going over the Taruntius craterand the pictures and maps brought back by Apollos 8 and 10 give us a very goodpreview of what to look at here. It looks very much like the pictures, but likethe difference between watching a real football game and watching it on TV-nosubstitute for actually being here."
About 15 minutes later he adds: "It gets to be a lighter gray, and asyou get closer to the subsolar point, you can definitely see browns and tans onthe ground."
And a few moments still later: "When a star sets up here, there's nodoubt about it. One instant it's there and the next instant it's justcompletely gone."
3:56 p.m.- A 35-minute telecast of the Moon's surface begins. Passingwestward along the eastern edge of the Moon's visible side, the camera isfocused especially on the area chosen as a landing site.
5:44 p.m.- A second burn of the spacecraft's main engine, this one for 17seconds, is employed while the spacecraft is on the back side of the Moon tostabilize the orbit at about 54 by 66 nautical miles.
6:57 p.m.- Armstrong and Aldrin crawl through the tunnel into the lunarmodule to give it another check. The spacecraft is orbiting the Moon every twohours.
Source: NASA history office
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