Apollo 11 Moonwalk

Fifty years ago Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon, followed shortly thereafter by his fellow Apollo 11 crew member Buzz Aldrin. This astounding event was viewed by an estimated 650 million people--which at that time was the largest television audience in history! (Only 12 persons walked on the moon, and all did so in a three year period, ending with the last moonwalk in 1972.)

In honor of the 50th anniversary of this historic occasion, we wanted to share with you some amazing artifacts from the WallBuilders collection relating those who walked on the moon:

• Neil Armstrong Certificate of Christian Confirmation from June 13, 1943 when he was 13 years old.


• Alan Bean signed postage stamps depicting Neil Armstrong's first step on the moon. (Bean was a part of the Apollo 12 mission that landed on the moon in November 1969.)


• James Irwin signed brochure, "Footprints on the Moon," with an added Christian inscription. (Irwin landed on the moon during the Apollo 15 mission in July/August 1971.)


• Charlie Duke handwritten letter from June 13, 2001, declaring that his relationship with Christ was even more significant than his remarkable and momentous walk on the moon. (Duke landed on the moon with the Apollo 16 mission in 1972.) In this 2001 letter, he states:

I thought that Apollo 16 would be my crowning glory but the crown that Jesus gives will not tarnish or fade away. This crown will last throughout all eternity (see 1 Corinthians 9:25). Not everyone has the opportunity to walk on the moon, but everybody has the opportunity to walk with the Son. It costs billions of dollars to send us to the moon but walking with Jesus is free – this gift of God. “For by grave you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourself, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

And on our radio program, WallBuilders Live, we have two special podcast interviews related to the moon program: one of a NASA engineer involved with the Apollo 13 mission, and an interview with moonwalker Charlie Duke.

The amazing achievement on this date in 1969, and the excitement from this event that's been passed down throughout the generations, proves our fascination with the universe God has created, and affirms that:

The heavens declare the glory of God
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
(Psalm 19:1)