The descent stages of NASA's Apollo lunar modules, which carried astronauts to the Moon's surface more than 50 years ago, remain on the lunar landscape. These components are permanent fixtures, clumped around the Moon's equator, as documented by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and other international satellites.
The Apollo program landed 12 men on the Moon, beginning with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, who became the first humans to explore another world on July 20, 1969. Their lander, named Eagle, settled onto the Sea of Tranquility, and Armstrong's subsequent step onto the lunar dust marked a monumental moment in human history.
The lunar modules, standing about 23 feet tall, consisted of a lower descent stage with four legs and an upper stage housing the crew. Upon reaching the lunar surface, the descent stage was left behind as the astronauts lifted off in the ascent stage to return to lunar orbit. All six descent stages from successful landing missions are still on the Moon.
While the descent stages remain, the ascent stages met different fates. Some were scattered across the Moon after their missions concluded, no longer needed once the astronauts rejoined the command module. There is speculation that the Apollo 11 ascent stage might still be in orbit.
NASA is currently developing its Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon. This new initiative involves private companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin, which are developing new lunar landers. A docking test in low-Earth orbit between a NASA crew capsule and a commercial lander is scheduled for next year. If this test is successful, NASA could target as early as 2028 for its next lunar landing since the Apollo era. The spacecraft for the Artemis missions, like SpaceX's Starship, are considerably larger than the Apollo landers, with Starship's height requiring astronauts to use an elevator-like system to descend to the surface, contrasting with the nine-rung ladder used by Apollo astronauts.
During the Apollo 11 mission, President Richard Nixon spoke to Armstrong and Aldrin via a phone call, stating that for a brief moment, all people on Earth were united.