NPR

Seeing Apollo Through The Eyes Of Astronauts

Five former NASA astronauts who flew on space missions reflect on some of the awe-inspiring photos from Apollo 11, the first lunar landing flight.
The crew of Apollo 11 is picked up after its splashdown.

Fifty years ago, two astronauts became the first humans to set foot on the moon. Like many explorers, they documented their accomplishment in photographs. The images they took are some of the most enduring of the 20th century, traveling from Life magazine to MTV to Twitter.

For most of us, the photos brought back by Apollo 11 are iconic and a little difficult to comprehend. But for astronauts, they represent something more: hours of training, risks taken and the many people on the ground who worked to make the journey possible.

NPR spoke to five former NASA astronauts who flew on space missions to learn how they see these photos.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR2 min readWorld
A Baby Girl Born Orphaned And Premature After An Israeli Airstrike In Gaza Has Died
The newborn died after five days in an incubator. Her family was killed in an air strike. UNICEF says 13,000 children have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, with thousands more orphaned and wounded.
NPR3 min readInternational Relations
Hamas Says It's Preparing To Respond To Israel's Latest Gaza Cease-fire Proposal
The militant group says it's examining the latest Israeli suggestions for a cease-fire in Gaza, seven months into the conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.
NPR6 min readAmerican Government
Mike Johnson And The Troubled History Of Recent Republican Speakers
Johnson is the sixth Republican elevated to the speakership since 1994. The five who preceded him all saw their time in the office end in relative degrees of defeat or frustration.

Related Books & Audiobooks