Apollo 11 – 30th Anniversary

The year before the start of the new millennium saw commemorations for the 30th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission. The three crew members, now men in their late 60s, received fresh honours from then US Vice President Al Gore in recognition of their achievement.

This news segment is a concise piece of media showing a clearly emotional Neil Armstrong accepting the honours on behalf of the crew. The archival footage is used sparingly and never ceases to lose its power. It’s an interesting addition to gear Buzz Aldrin comment on how they dealt with fear that the mission would not succeed. The comment that it had been 27 years since a manned spacecraft landed on the Moon is a reference to Apollo 17, which launched on 7 December 1972.