306 a
NASA / Unidentified Photographer

The departure for the Moon

Apollo 11, July 16, 1969

Three vintage gelatin silver prints on fiber-based paper, each 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with NASA KSC captions on the versos

306 b
NASA / Unidentified Photographer

Overall view of Mission Control before the historic first lunar landing mission, Manned Spacecraft Center

Apollo 11, July 1969

Vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based Kodak paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with NASA MSC caption and “A Kodak Paper” watermarks on the verso, numbered “NASA S-69-38848” in red in top margin

306 c
NASA / Unidentified Photographer

Launch Control during countdown to launch, Kennedy Space Center

Apollo 11, July 1969

Two vintage gelatin silver prints on fiber-based paper, each 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with NASA KSC captions on the versos
20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in)

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Lot Essay

306 a
The crew of Apollo 11, led by Commander Neil Armstrong, leave the Kennedy Space Center’s Manned Spacecraft Operations Building during the prelaunch countdown and before the drive to their Saturn V rocket at Launch Complex 39A.

Their mission was the dramatic end to a massive effort. Though trained to be self-reliant, they had the support of a huge team. Altogether it took the work of some 350,000 people to launch their mission.

“I wasn’t chosen to be first. I was just chosen to command that flight. Circumstance put me in that particular role. That wasn’t planned by anyone.”
Neil Armstrong (2005 interview with CBS)

306 b
“Centralized control of the Apollo 11 flight from launch to recovery will be provided by the Mission Control Center (MCC) in Houston. The MCC will be manned around the clock by four teams of flight controllers and support personnel beginning at T-24 hours in the countdown for launch” (NASA caption).

306 c
Samuel Phillips, Director of the Apollo program, monitors Apollo 11 prelaunch activities within the Operations Management Room, adjacent to Firing Room 1 of the Launch Control Center (first photograph).

Walter Kapryan, Deputy Director of Launch Operations; Kurt Debus, Kennedy Space Center Director; and Rocco Petrone, Director of Launch Operations follow prelaunch activities within the Launch Control Center (second photograph).