Obama Meets Apollo 11 Astronauts to Mark Moon Landing's 45th Anniversary

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By Stan Schroeder2014-07-24 01:08:48 UTC

To celebrate the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission, U.S. President Barack Obama met with members of the crew on Tuesday, including Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin, Michael Collins and Carol Armstrong, the widow of Neil Armstrong.

On July 20, 1969, Armstrong and Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the moon. Spending about two hours and 31 minutes on its surface, the astronauts collected some 47 pounds of samples and conducted four experiments, before returning to their spacecraft.

See also: 'The Eagle Has Landed:' The Apollo 11 Mission, 45 Years Later

This year’s White House meeting marks the first major anniversary without mission commander Armstrong, who died in 2012 at the age of 82, according to NBC News.

“The United States of America is stronger today thanks to the vision of President Kennedy, who set us on a course for the moon, the courage of Neil, Buzz and Michael, who made the journey, and the spirit of service of all who’ve worked not only on the Apollo program, but who’ve dared to push the very boundaries of space and scientific discovery for all humankind," according to a White House statement.

NASA is set to take its next giant leap, as research is currently underway to send the first humans to Mars.

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Topics: apollo 11, Barack Obama, Space, U.S., US & World

Image: Flickr, NASA/Bill Ingalls