Every week we take a look in the RTÉ Guide archives to check out the stories from years gone by. On this week in 1969, the Guide was celebrating the Apollo 11 mission to the moon.
"By the time most people read this, astronauts Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins will have been launched on their historic journey to the moon," wrote the Guide journalist. "For eight days the world will hold its breath as they journey through space. Many of the highlights of the flight will be transmitted back to earth via television cameras, and viewers at home will actually be able to see man taking his first steps on the moon. Throughout the eight days, RTE will give extensive radio and television coverage to the moonflight, and full details of this coverage are given in the programme pages, with additional information on the flight in this and the following pages. All television pictures will be received from a Eurovision Pool via the Japan satellite."
The Guide introduced its readers to astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin and Michael Collins and included a diagram of the Apollo 11, as well as a potted history of the scientific developments and expeditions by both the USA and the USSR that led to the trip to the moon, from the launch of the first Sputnik satellite in 1957 through to Yuri Gagarin's groundbreaking orbit of earth and onto the US's first orbit of the moon.
The magazine also featured a graphic "moon guide" showing the intended journey of Apollo 11, as well as an illustrated schedule of the journey with details of the televised reports and live broadcasts, which would run over nine days, covering everything from the launch from what was then known as Cape Kennedy in Florida (now Canaveral) on July 16th to the return to earth on July 24th. Luckily for Irish viewers the launch took place at 2.00pm though the actual landing on the moon would require early rising, with coverage kicking off at 6.26am.
The mission went safely and on July 21st 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first human being to set foot on the moon.
