Page 48 - The Appollo Story

~----------1 The Apollo Storyt----------........._

Apollo 11 (AS-506) The Eagle Has Landed
After about seven hours of rest, the crew was awakened by Houston to prepare for the return flight. Two
and a half hours later, and after spending 21 hours on the Moon, at 17:54 UTC, they lifted off in Eagle's
ascent stage, to rejoin CMP Michael Collins aboard Columbia in lunar orbit. During the launch Aldrin
looked up in time to see the exhaust from the ascent module's engine knock over the American flag they
had planted. Film taken from the LM Ascent Stage upon lift-off from the Moon reveals the American flag,
planted some 25 feet (8m) from the descent stage, whipping violently in the exhaust of the ascent stage en-
gine. Buzz Aldrin witnessed it topple: "The ascent stage of the LM separated ... I was concentrating on the
computers, and Neil was studying the attitude indicator, but I looked up long enough to see the flag fall
over." Subsequent Apollo missions usually planted the American flags at least 100 feet (30m) from the LM
to prevent its being blown over by the ascent engine exhaust.

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APOLLO 11 ASTRONAUTS
BLAST OFF MOON

:FIRST DAY OF ISSUE

Authentic photo take-off
from upper center of site.