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JULY 20, 1969
Where were you when Neil Armstrong took humankind's first steps on the moon?
What were you doing? Were you even born yet? Do you think that moment in human
history is important? We do.
This web site was created to expand the general public's knowledge about the
Apollo 11 mission. Apollo 11 was the first manned mission of NASA's (National
Aeronautic and Space Administration) Program to land on the moon. NASA
designated this location as Tranquility Base. The "XI" marks the area
of the first landing. The history of that moment was recorded live on television
and radio. One sixth of the world's population witnessed the event as it
happened. Many people know who the first person to step onto the moon's surface
was - Neil Armstrong, but fewer know who the second person on the moon was Edwin
(Buzz) Aldrin Jr. Michael Collins orbited above in the Command Module.
What did these astronauts leave behind?
This web site will show you and describe all the artifacts that were left behind
by the astronauts. We are working on a map that will place all the artifacts,
structures and features as accurately as possible, just as if we were
archaeologists visiting the site today.
Our goal is to preserve the archaeological information and the historic record
of Apollo 11. We also hope one day to preserve Tranquility Base for our
planet as a World Heritage Site. We need to prepare for the future because in 50 years many
travelers may go to the moon. If the site is not protected, what will be left?
The members of the project team are: Dr. Beth O'Leary, Anthropology Professor at
New Mexico State University (NMSU); Dr. Jon Hunner, History Professor at NMSU,
John Versluis, 2000 Public History graduate (M.A.) at NMSU; and Ralph Gibson,
Anthropology Graduate (M.A.) at NMSU 2001,
Justin Culp, site webmaster at NMSU.
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