🚀 57 Years Since Apollo 11

"3... 2... 1... 0... all engine running... lift-off! We have a lift-off, 32 minutes past the hour. Lift-off on Apollo 11!”

Those were the words Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins heard over their radios as their Saturn V blasted off from Kennedy Space Center on its way to the Moon. 57 years ago today, on July 16, 1969, these three astronauts set off into space, arriving on the Moon four days later.

The official landing of the "Eagle" occurred on July 20, 20:17 UTC— 4:17 PM for those of us in the Eastern Time Zone. Six hours later, Neil Armstrong exited the module and left the first footprint on the extraterrestrial frontier.

Today, we have begun our own return to the Moon, with Artemis II's orbit and future missions already planned. Humanity's next step is only a few years away.

Your trip to the Moon doesn't need to wait—check out these incredible NASA-flown items from the Apollo 11 Command Module, available now at Mini Museum!

Upon returning to Earth, the three astronauts descended within the Apollo 11 Command Module—a living space coated in cutting-edge heating protection. An important shield between the temperature of reentry and the pilots was the gold Kapton foil, which you can see coating the CM in the photo below.

Today, we are proud to offer a piece of that foil in commemoration of the incredible scientific achievement of Apollo 11, with the hope that it will continue to inspire for generations to come.

Yes, these specimens are squares of mission-flown Apollo 11 Kapton foil taken from the command module after splashdown!

We have two sources of this incredible material: the personal collection of retired NASA Production Control Engineer William R. Whipkey and the collection of Buzz Aldrin!

All of our material is processed by hand with immense care at our workshop. Each Kapton specimen comes in a beautiful display case along with a folded mission card featuring color photography, flight details, and a certificate of authenticity. It makes an amazing gift, and it is ready for display immediately.

Looking for a bit of outer space fashion? Check out our Apollo 11 Command Module Pendant, made with the same Kapton material!

The Apollo 11 launch was the culmination of a decade of work to bring human beings to the Moon for the first time. Today, we invite you to learn how the mission was possible. Discover the painstaking preparations that Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins went through to train for the launch, the flight path the mission took to reach the Moon, and even the designing of the iconic mission patch.

Armstrong, Collins, and Aldrin during an equipment check in the Apollo 11 Command Module, Columbia. Happy launch day! 👨‍🚀