What did Apollo 11 leave on the Moon?

The crew deployed a television camera, a solar wind composition experiment, and a seismic experiment package, planted a flag, and left a plaque on the Lunar Module's descent stage reading: 'Here Men From Planet Earth First Set Foot Upon the Moon. July 1969 A.D. We Came In Peace For All Mankind.'

Apollo 11 Landing Site: Exact Coordinates, Crew & Mission Timeline

Q: Who was on the Apollo 11 crew?

Apollo 11's crew was Commander Neil A. Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins, and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. Armstrong and Aldrin walked on the Moon while Collins remained in lunar orbit aboard the Command Module Columbia.

On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11's Lunar Module Eagle touched down in the Sea of Tranquility, fulfilling a national goal set by President John F. Kennedy in 1961: land astronauts on the Moon and return them safely to Earth. Six hours and thirty-nine minutes later, Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on another world.

This page documents the mission's exact landing coordinates, full crew, and timeline, drawn entirely from NASA's official records. You can see Tranquility Base marked at its precise location on SatFleet Live's interactive 3D Moon map, alongside every other historic landing site and live lunar orbiters.

Buzz Aldrin walking on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission — Buzz Aldrin on the lunar surface at Tranquility Base, July 20, 1969. Credit: NASA.

Quick Facts

Mission	Apollo 11
Agency	NASA
Launch	July 16, 1969, Saturn V, Kennedy Space Center
Landing	July 20, 1969, 20:17 UTC (4:17 p.m. EDT)
Landing site	Tranquility Base, Sea of Tranquility (Site 2)
Coordinates	0°41'15" N, 23°26'00" E
Spacecraft	Command Module Columbia, Lunar Module Eagle
Time on lunar surface	Approximately 21.6 hours
Moonwalk (EVA) duration	2 hours, 31 minutes
Splashdown	July 24, 1969, Pacific Ocean, recovered by USS Hornet

The Crew

Neil A. Armstrong

Commander

First human to walk on the Moon. Manually piloted the Lunar Module Eagle past a boulder field to a safe landing.

Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin Jr.

Lunar Module Pilot

Second person to walk on the Moon, joining Armstrong on the surface 19 minutes later.

Michael Collins

Command Module Pilot

Remained in lunar orbit aboard Columbia, completing 30 orbits while Armstrong and Aldrin were on the surface.

Official portrait of the Apollo 11 crew: Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin — The Apollo 11 crew: Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin. Credit: NASA.

Mission Timeline

Jul 16, 1969Launch aboard a Saturn V rocket from Kennedy Space Center.
Jul 20, 1969Powered descent begins as the Lunar Module Eagle separates from Columbia and begins its approach to the surface.
Jul 20, 1969, 20:17 UTCEagle lands in the Sea of Tranquility. Armstrong radios: "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed."
Jul 20, 1969Armstrong steps onto the lunar surface, followed 19 minutes later by Aldrin. The two spend 2 hours and 31 minutes outside the Lunar Module.
Jul 21, 1969Eagle's ascent stage lifts off from the lunar surface, leaving the descent stage — and its commemorative plaque — behind.
Jul 24, 1969Columbia splashes down in the Pacific Ocean; the crew is recovered by the USS Hornet.

What They Left Behind

Before leaving the surface, Armstrong and Aldrin deployed a television camera, a solar wind composition experiment, and a seismic experiment package, and planted a U.S. flag. On the Lunar Module's descent stage — permanently left on the Moon — they unveiled a plaque reading: "Here Men From Planet Earth First Set Foot Upon the Moon. July 1969 A.D. We Came In Peace For All Mankind."

The astronauts collected approximately 46 pounds of lunar rocks and soil, returned to Earth for scientific study — samples that scientists continue to analyse using techniques that didn't exist in 1969.

Buzz Aldrin's bootprint in the lunar soil at Tranquility Base — One of the first bootprints left on the Moon, photographed at Tranquility Base. Credit: NASA.

Frequently Asked Questions

Apollo 11's Lunar Module Eagle landed at Tranquility Base in the Sea of Tranquility, at coordinates 0°41'15" N, 23°26'00" E, on July 20, 1969.

Commander Neil A. Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins, and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. Armstrong and Aldrin walked on the Moon while Collins remained in lunar orbit.

Armstrong and Aldrin spent approximately 21.6 hours on the lunar surface, including a moonwalk lasting 2 hours and 31 minutes.

A television camera, a solar wind experiment, a seismic experiment package, a flag, and a plaque on the Lunar Module's descent stage commemorating the landing.

Armstrong and Aldrin collected approximately 46 pounds of lunar rocks and soil, returned to Earth for scientific analysis.

Yes. SatFleet Live's interactive 3D Moon map marks Tranquility Base at its exact coordinates alongside every other historic lunar landing site and live lunar orbiters.

Sources

Apollo 11 Mission Overviewnasa.gov
Apollo 11 Lunar Surface Journal — Mission Overviewhistory.nasa.gov
Apollo 11 — NASA History Officehq.nasa.gov

Explore More

See Tranquility Base in 3D

Explore the exact landing site alongside every other Apollo, Luna, Surveyor and Chang'e mission on an interactive Moon globe.

Open the Moon Tracker