Apollo 11 was the fifth crewed mission of NASA’s Apollo program. It followed Apollo 7, Apollo 8, Apollo 9, and Apollo 10, and became the first mission to land humans on the Moon.
The mission launched on July 16, 1969, carrying Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin. Apollo 7 had tested the command and service modules in Earth orbit, while Apollo 8 had flown humans around the Moon. Apollo 9 tested the lunar module in Earth orbit, and Apollo 10 rehearsed a lunar landing without touching down.
A common mix-up is confusing Apollo 11’s position in the numbered program with the number of crewed lunar missions. Apollo 11 was the fifth crewed Apollo flight, but only the third Apollo mission to reach lunar orbit. It was also the first to land astronauts on the lunar surface, at the Sea of Tranquility, on July 20, 1969.