[Apollo 11] LM shadow at Tranquility Base, photographed immediately after the first...

[Apollo 11] LM shadow at Tranquility Base, photographed immediately after the first human step on the Moon. Neil Armstrong [Apollo 11], 16–24 July 1969. Vintage gelatin silver print on fiber-based paper [NASA image AS11–40-5854, originally shot on color film]. 20.3×25.4 cm (8×10 in), numbered “AS11–40-5854” in bottom margin, with handwritten USGS annotations identifying lunar rocks at Tranquility Base (NASA / United States Geological Survey, Flagstaff, Arizona).

This extremely rare image, from the first panoramic sequence taken by Neil Armstrong on the lunar surface, was captured after his famous first words on the Moon: “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” According to the mission plan, while waiting for Aldrin to emerge out of the cabin, Armstrong was supposed to collect in priority a contingency sample of lunar surface material in case of emergency return. But he instead chose to immortalize his first moments on the Sea of Tranquillity with this image of the shadow of the first manned spacecraft on the surface of another world. “Picture yourself in Armstrong’s shoes, as he surveys the lunar landscape just after landing. The view appears uninviting, forbidden, hostile and he wonders “What kind of day will it be?” It will be a day like all days on the surface of the Moon - a velvet black sky with a terrain of rocks, boulders, craters and dust in all shades of gray.” James Lovell, Apollo 8 and 13 astronaut (Chaikin, Space, introduction) From the mission transcript a few minutes before this photograph was taken:

109:23:38 Armstrong: I’m at the foot of the ladder. The LM footpads are only depressed in the surface about 1 or 2 inches, although the surface appears to be very, very fine grained, as you get close to it. It’s almost like a powder. (The) ground mass is very fine. 109:24:12 Armstrong: Okay. I’m going to step off the LM now. 109:24:23 Armstrong: That’s one small step for (a) man; one giant leap for mankind.

Condition Report:Handling crack and surface marks at bottom center below image visible only in a raking light, otherwise excellent condition.

Category:Photos ▸ Vintage photographs