Which space mission first landed humans on the Moon?

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Apollo 11 was the first space mission to land humans on the Moon.

NASA launched Apollo 11 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on 16 July 1969. The crew consisted of commander Neil Armstrong, lunar-module pilot Buzz Aldrin, and command-module pilot Michael Collins. Armstrong and Aldrin descended to the lunar surface while Collins remained in lunar orbit.

The lunar module Eagle landed in the Moon’s Sea of Tranquility on 20 July 1969. Armstrong stepped onto the surface first, followed by Aldrin. The astronauts collected lunar samples, photographed the landscape, and deployed scientific equipment before returning to lunar orbit.

Apollo 11 returned safely to Earth on 24 July 1969. Apollo 8 had already carried humans around the Moon without landing, while Apollo 12 became the second crewed mission to land there later in 1969.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Oct. 2026

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