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Web Release
20 hours ago
- Science
- Web Release
OMEGA Marks The Moon Landing Anniversary
On the 56th anniversary of Apollo 11, OMEGA is remembering humankind's very first Moon landing, and the role that its Speedmaster watches played in that legendary mission. History was made at 02:56 UTC on July 21st, 1969, when the first human steps were taken on the lunar surface. Commander Neil Armstrong and Lunar Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin spent just 2 hours and 36 minutes outside the spacecraft on the Moon's terrain, but their achievement left an everlasting imprint on the story of space exploration. For their mission, each astronaut was equipped with an OMEGA Speedmaster timepiece, and the watch can famously be seen on the wrist of Buzz Aldrin during his Moonwalk. To this day, the brand remains truly proud to have kept time during that monumental journey and to be recognised as the first watch worn on the Moon. 2025 is a particularly special anniversary for OMEGA, because it marks 60 years since the Speedmaster was qualified by NASA for all manned space missions. Under the direction of Flight Crew Operations Director, Deke Slayton, the agency tested the chronographs from several watchmakers from around the world, subjecting them to extreme temperatures, shocks, vibrations, and vacuums. Only the OMEGA Speedmaster withstood the full battery of tests, and as a result, it was officially qualified on March the 1st, 1965. This was the first step on the Speedmaster's journey to the Moon. In the years before Apollo, it was also worn by astronauts throughout the Mercury and Gemini programs. 600 million people watched the live Moon landing broadcast in 1969 – and those awe-inspiring images are still viewed with admiration and pride to this day. OMEGA has continued its strong involvement in space exploration, accompanying astronauts with quality and reliability throughout their missions, while keeping an eye on even more giant leaps in the future.
Free Malaysia Today
a day ago
- Science
- Free Malaysia Today
Pope calls Buzz Aldrin to mark 1969 moon landing
Pope Leo XIV leaves St Pancras Cathedral after celebrating a Mass in Albano Laziale. (AP pic) CASTEL GANDOLFO : Pope Leo XIV on Sunday called astronaut Buzz Aldrin and visited the Vatican's astronomical observatory in Castel Gandolfo to mark the 56th anniversary of man's first moon landing. 'This evening, 56 years after the Apollo 11 moon landing, I spoke with the astronaut Buzz Aldrin,' the American pope wrote on X. 'Together we shared the memory of a historic feat, a testimony to human ingenuity, and we reflected on the mystery and greatness of Creation,' he wrote. After Neil Armstrong, who died in 2012, Aldrin was the second person to set foot on the Moon on the historic Apollo 11 mission that secured the US victory in the space race. A devout Christian, Aldrin took communion on the lunar surface using a travel kit provided by his Presbyterian pastor. The pope said he blessed the 95-year-old US astronaut and his family during the call. Earlier Sunday, Leo visited the Vatican Observatory, which sits on a leafy hilltop near the papal summer home of Castel Gandolfo. Vatican photographs showed the pope looking through a large telescope in the observatory, one of the oldest astronomical research institutions in the world, where planetary scientists mix the study of meteorites with theology.
Metro
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Fact check: Did Buzz Aldrin really admit he never went to the Moon?
Hiyah Zaidi Published July 18, 2025 12:44pm Link is copied Comments Going to the Moon is one of humanity's greatest achievements, with the first two people stepping foot on the lunar surface being Neil Armstrong and Edwin E. (Buzz) Aldrin Jr. However, as the 56th anniversary of the event rolls around, social media users are sharing a resurfaced clip of Buzz Aldrin being interviewed by Conan O'Brian, an American TV host, where the astronaut says that parts of the moon landing broadcasts were animated. Another circulating clip claims Aldrin admitted they never went to the Moon. So, what's going on? (Picture: Getty) In an interview, which can be found on YouTube, Mr O'Brien says: 'Let's talk about this because this is fascinating. I remember very clearly; I think anybody who was alive at the time does. I remember my parents waking me up and we went down, and we watched you guys land on the moon.' Mr Aldrin replies: 'No, you didn't. Because there wasn't any television, there wasn't anybody taking the picture. You watched animation so you associated what you saw with… you heard me talking about, you know, how many feet we're going to the left and right and then I said contact light, engine stopped, a few other things and then Neil said "Houston, tranquility base. The Eagle has landed." How about that? Not a bad line' (Picture: Getty) In 2009, NASA released a complete digital make-over of the original landing footage that clarifies the blurry and grainy images of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walking on the surface of the moon. The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum states that for Apollo 11's mission, Nasa worked with Westinghouse for a black and white camera costing $2.29 million to capture the moment. And on its website it says: 'Many broadcasters used simulations to flesh out their Apollo programming. Networks paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for scale models of Apollo command modules and rockets. During the broadcast, these were used to create simulations of the mission which were then intercut with real footage' - which may be the animations Aldrin was referring to (Picture: Getty) Vox reveals some television networks built sets to recreate some of the moments that were not able to be captured on video. Speaking to Reuters, Dr Margaret Weitekamp, Chair of the Space History Department at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, said: 'The thing to remember is what news was like in the late 1960s, not 24-hour continuous coverage. The coverage of that trip needed to be explained to the public without the ability for continuous relay of video we are now used to. Animations would have been a part of a constellation of different ways that that story was told over a series of days. At the time, the coverage would have been combined with animations that helped provide a broader picture of what was being done. But this certainly doesn't invalidate that those landings took place' (Picture: Getty) In another clip, it shows Mr Aldrin at the 2015 National Book Festival, where a young girl interviews him about space, and asks why nobody has been to the Moon in a long time. He seems to respond by saying: 'Because we didn't go there, and that's the way it happened.' However, the clip seems to be cut, and it misses out on some vital context where the quote could be understood to be referring to the lack of Moon missions since, rather than his own landing (Picture: Getty) The version on social media cuts off where he continues: 'And if it didn't happen it's nice to know why it didn't happen so in the future, if we want to keep doing something, we need to know why something stopped in the past if we want to keep it going.' Full Fact reports that he explains that money is a factor, as more money is needed for new space equipment and resources. He adds: 'So having achieved what the President wanted us to do, and then what thousands, millions of people in America, and millions of people around the world... You know when we toured around the world after we came back [from the Moon] the most fascinating observation was signs that said 'we did it.' Not just us. But we, the world. They felt like they were part of what we were able to do. And that made us feel very good' (Picture: Getty) There is plenty of evidence that the Moon landing happened, including photographs. The three astronauts, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Micheal Collins, launched in Apollo 11 after a national goal set by President John F. Kennedy on May 25, 1961 – to perform a crewed lunar landing and return to Earth. Apollo 11 was launched from the Kennedy Space Center on July 16, 1969, and just four days later, they had reached the Moon with Neil Armstrong stepping down saying the famous line: 'That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind' (Picture: Getty) Apollo 11 was not the only time a person stepped on the Moon. So far, a total of 12 people have been on the Moon, which all happened between July 1969 and December 1972 - now more than 50 years ago. Nasa has lined up a mission to send humans back onto the Moon's surface. This mission, known as Artemis III, is set to launch mid 2027, and will last around 30 days. The mission will see two crew members descend to the Moon's surface and spend around a week near the South Pole of the Moon before returning to lunar orbit to join their crew for the journey back to Earth (Picture: Getty)
Metro
2 days ago
- Science
- Metro
We're another step closer to living on the Moon
It's been 56 years since Neil Armstrong plonked a boot on the Moon and made history. Yet, much to the rest of humanity's annoyance, they haven't followed in his footsteps – literally. The grey, pockmarked orb doesn't exactly scream real estate, but Nasa hopes to build homes for astronauts and civilians on the Moon by 2040. Chinese scientists have suggested that this might not be as far-fetched as it might seem – the soil on the Moon could potentially support life. According to a study, the Chinese University of Hong Kong have invented a way to extract water from the chalky lunar soil. This celestial water is then used to convert carbon dioxide – such as that exhaled by astronauts – into carbon monoxide and hydrogen gas, which can be used to make fuel and oxygen for the astronauts to breathe. Just like on Earth, fuel and food would be costly on the Moon, given how expensive it would be flying up essentials into space. Travelling light is critical to spaceflight, where just one kilogram of supplies can cost well over £74,000 to ship up by rocket. And this includes water, too. The academics estimated that getting a single gallon of water to the Moon would cost £61,000, barely enough to quench the four gallons an astronaut would drink a day. But the researchers say this technology could 'potentially open new doors for future deep space exploration' by eliminating these eye-watering costs. Lead researcher Lu Wang said: 'We never fully imagined the 'magic' that the lunar soil possessed.' Appearances are deceiving when it comes to water on the Moon, where years of being pelted with asteroids and comets have left water on it. Shadowy craters on the lunar poles, known as permanently shadowed regions (PSRs), never see sunshine, meaning there's water ice tucked inside minerals such as ilmenite. The tool developed by the Chinese researchers would involve taking the reoglith – a layer of loose material that blankets solid rock – of ilmenite and heating it using sunlight to release the water. Carbon dioxide is then chucked in, causing the ilmenite to undergo photothermal catalysis – a novel method that uses sunlight to speed up chemical reactions. Wang added in a statement that 'one-step integration of lunar water extraction and photothermal carbon dioxide catalysis' could make efforts to build lunar outposts or Tescos (we assume) more energy efficient. Easier said than done, however, the researchers said, given that 'drastic temperature fluctuations', radiation and low gravity can make harvesting oxygen and water from the land tricky. Nasa's plan to build a colony on the Moon similarly involves making the most of the materials already there. The plan, first reported on in 2023, will involve blasting a 3-D printer into the heavens that will build structures out of lunar concrete created from the rock chips, mineral fragments and dust that cover the Moon. This debris is harmful to humans and is easily kicked up into the air – or rather, the lack of it – as astronauts lumber around in their heavy boots. The first lunar Americans could get some neighbours pretty soon, with South Korea to develop lunar landers by 2040 before building a 'lunar economic base by 2045', according to The Korea Times. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Longest solar eclipse in 100 years to happen in 2027 – here's where to see it MORE: Astronomers just casually witnessed the birth of a new solar system MORE: France's new rocket Baguette One to go where no baker has gone before
NDTV
2 days ago
- Science
- NDTV
Humans Landed On Moon In 1969, Why Conspiracy Theories Still Doubt It
"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," said astronaut Neil Armstrong after stepping on the Moon on July 20, 1969. It's been over five decades, but conspiracy theorists still doubt it. On Sunday (July 20), NASA shared a post on Instagram to mark 56 years since the Apollo 11 mission successfully landed on the lunar surface, which was a historic achievement in space exploration. The space agency wrote: "We're going back." View this post on Instagram A post shared by NASA (@nasa) All About The Apollo 11 Mission The primary goals of the mission were to land on the Moon, conduct scientific experiments and return safely to Earth. The Moon landing paved the way for future space exploration and inspired generations of scientists, engineers and astronauts. "56 years ago, NASA astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped onto the Moon, becoming the first humans to walk on the lunar surface," NASA said in the Instagram post. "Now, we're working with international and commercial partners to return to the Moon and establish the first long-term presence there, which is a critical step toward our first crewed missions to Mars." What Do Conspiracy Theories Say About The Moon Landing? The Moon landing conspiracy theory, mostly circulated on social media, suggests that the United States government faked or staged the Apollo Moon landings. Some even claimed that the landings were filmed in a studio or that the astronauts did not actually walk on the Moon's surface. Users on social media also claimed that the American flag planted on the Moon appears to be waving in the wind, even though there is no atmosphere on the Moon. Photos taken by the astronauts on the Moon's surface do not show any stars in the background, which some believe is evidence that the photos were taken in a studio. There are also claims that the astronauts would have been exposed to lethal radiation during their trip to the Moon, making it impossible for them to survive. The theories argue why it is taking so many years to go back to the Moon with far better technology as compared to the 1960s. Scientific Proof To Debunk The Viral Theories Experts have provided evidence and scientific explanations to debunk these claims. Scientists have noted that the flag's motion is caused by the motion from the astronauts as they planted it in the ground, not wind. They also revealed that cameras used by the astronauts were set to capture images of the bright lunar surface, and the stars were not visible due to overexposure. In regard to radiation claims, the experts said that the astronauts wore protective suits and the spacecraft had shielding to minimise exposure. The Apollo astronauts also brought back more than 800 pounds of Moon rocks and soil, which have been extensively studied by scientists and confirmed to have originated from the Moon.
