First Words
The Apollo program stands as a monumental period in human exploration. Operated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the program successfully landed twelve men on the Moon between 1969 and 1972. Each landing, beginning with Apollo 11 and concluding with Apollo 17, was a complex feat of engineering and human endurance.
When the astronauts first stepped onto the lunar surface, their initial statements were broadcast to a captivated world. These first words, whether poetic or technical, became a permanent part of the historical record. The moments they encapsulate vary from significant reflections on humanity’s place in the universe to the immediate, practical observations of a test pilot in a new and alien environment.
Technically, the very first words spoken from the Moon’s surface during each mission were likely the callout “Contact Light!” This was the signal from the Lunar Module Pilot to the Commander, indicating that the 67-inch-long probes on the Apollo Lunar Module‘s footpads had touched the lunar regolith. This triggered the “Contact” light in the cabin, prompting the Commander to shut down the descent engine.
But it’s the words spoken by the astronauts as they physically stepped off the ladder that have resonated through history. These statements, delivered by the twelve men who walked on another world, form a unique and personal record of an extraordinary achievement. They range from the carefully considered to the spontaneous, each offering a glimpse into the character of the man who spoke them and the nature of the mission he was flying.
Apollo 11: The First Step
The Apollo 11 mission in July 1969 was the first to land humans on the Moon. The crew consisted of Commander Neil Armstrong, Lunar Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin, and Command Module Pilot Michael Collins. Armstrong and Aldrin landed on the Sea of Tranquility in their Lunar Module, Eagle, while Collins orbited above in the Command Module, Columbia. The world waited with held breath for the first extravehicular activity (EVA).
Neil Armstrong
Neil Armstrong was a former naval aviator and test pilot, known for his calm demeanor and exceptional engineering skill. He had flown on the Gemini 8 mission, where he performed the first-ever docking of two spacecraft in orbit and successfully handled a critical in-flight emergency. As Commander of Apollo 11, he was tasked with manually piloting the Eagle to a safe landing, bypassing a boulder-strewn crater at the last minute.
Hours after landing, Armstrong prepared to exit the LM. As he stood on the footpad of the ladder, his first observations were practical. He reported: I’m at the foot of the ladder. The LM footpads are only depressed in the surface about 1 or 2 inches, although the surface appears to be very, very fine grained, as you get close to it. It’s almost like a powder. Ground mass is very fine. I’m going to step off the LM now.
It was at this moment, as his boot made contact with the lunar soil, that he made his famous statement. His words were: That’s one small step for [a] man; one giant leap for mankind. This carefully chosen expression captured the essence of the moment, bridging the gap between a single person’s action and its vast historical implication.
Buzz Aldrin
Buzz Aldrin, the Lunar Module Pilot, was an accomplished engineer and U.S. Air Force pilot with a doctorate in astronautics from MIT. He followed Armstrong onto the lunar surface approximately 19 minutes later.
As Aldrin stood on the LM’s footpad, just before stepping onto the surface himself, he gave his own first impression of the scene. His observation was: Magnificent desolation. This phrase eloquently conveyed the paradoxical nature of the Moon: a place of breathtaking, sterile beauty, completely alien to the life-filled environment of Earth.
Once he was standing on the Moon itself, Aldrin’s focus turned to the more immediate and technical. His first words from the surface were an observation to Armstrong: Looks like the secondary strut had a little thermal effects on it right here, Neil.
Apollo 12: The All-Navy Crew
Four months later, in November 1969, the Apollo 12 mission demonstrated a pinpoint landing capability. The crew, Commander Pete Conrad and Lunar Module Pilot Alan Bean, landed their LM, Intrepid, in the Ocean of Storms. Their landing was so precise that they were able to walk to the unmanned Surveyor 3 probe, which had landed on the Moon two and a half years earlier.
The Apollo 12 crew was known for its lighthearted and jovial nature. All three astronauts, including Command Module Pilot Richard Gordon, were U.S. Navy commanders. This camaraderie was evident from the moment they stepped on the Moon.
Pete Conrad
Pete Conrad was one of NASA‘s most experienced astronauts, having flown on Gemini 5 and Gemini 11. He was shorter than Neil Armstrong and had a famously irreverent sense of humor. There was a running story that he had made a $500 bet with a reporter, Oriana Fallaci, who he felt believed NASA scripted its astronauts’ statements. The bet was that NASA didn’t script them, and to prove it, he would say something completely unexpected.
As Conrad stood on the LM’s footpad, his words were: Whoopie! Man, that may have been a small one for Neil, but that’s a long one for me. I’m going to step off the pad. This was a playful reference to his own shorter stature.
Once his boot hit the surface, his immediate reaction was not one of philosophical reflection, but of surprise at the soil’s consistency. He said: Mark. Oooh, is that soft and queasy. Hey, that’s neat. I don’t sink in too far. His spontaneous and humorous words were a perfect reflection of his personality.
Alan Bean
Alan Bean was a rookie on the Apollo 12 mission, meaning it was his first spaceflight. A fellow naval aviator, he shared Conrad’s enthusiasm.
As he descended the ladder, his first comment was directed back at the LM Intrepid itself. He remarked: Boy, the LM looks nice on the outside.
Upon reaching the lunar surface, his first observation was about the environment. His first words were: Okay. My, that Sun is bright. His words were simple, direct, and observational, the reactions of a man trying to take in an overwhelming and completely foreign environment for the first time.
Apollo 14: The Return to Flight
Apollo 14, launching in January 1971, was a mission of redemption. It followed the near-disaster of Apollo 13 and was commanded by the first American to ever fly in space, Alan Shepard. Shepard and Lunar Module Pilot Edgar Mitchell landed their LM, Antares, in the Fra Mauro highlands, the original target for Apollo 13.
Alan Shepard
Alan Shepard‘s journey to the Moon was a long and arduous one. As one of the original “Mercury Seven” astronauts, he became a national hero in 1961. However, he was grounded shortly after his historic flight by an inner-ear disorder called Ménière’s disease, which caused severe dizziness and nausea.
Shepard was relegated to a desk job as Chief of the Astronaut Office for years. He refused to give up, and in 1968, he underwent a risky, experimental surgery that successfully corrected the condition. He was restored to flight status and given command of Apollo 14. At 47, he was the oldest astronaut to fly in the Apollo program and would become the oldest person to walk on the Moon.
His first words reflect this long, personal struggle. As he started down the ladder, he reported: Starting down the ladder. Once he was standing on the lunar surface, his first statement was a simple, personal acknowledgment: Okay, you’re right. Al is on the surface. And it’s been a long way, but we’re here.
Edgar Mitchell
Edgar Mitchell, the Lunar Module Pilot for Apollo 14, held a doctorate in aeronautics and astronautics and was a U.S. Navy pilot.
As he began his descent, he shared his excitement with Shepard, saying: Al, I’m starting out, and it’s very great to be coming down.
While standing on the LM’s footpad, he remarked on the physical task: That last one is a long one. Ascent check. Very easy to do. A little push and just spring right up.
His first words upon actually stepping onto the lunar surface were not a grand statement, but a piece of operational chatter. He was observing Shepard, who was releasing the Modular Equipment Transporter (MET), a two-wheeled cart. Mitchell’s first action was to report: He’s releasing it now.
Apollo 15: The First Science Mission
The Apollo 15 mission in July 1971 was the first of the “J-missions,” which featured longer stays on the surface, more extensive science objectives, and the first use of the Lunar Roving Vehicle. Commander David Scott and Lunar Module Pilot James Irwin landed in the Hadley-Apennine region, a visually stunning area of mountains and rilles.
David Scott
David Scott was a seasoned U.S. Air Force pilot who had flown on Gemini 8 (with Neil Armstrong) and Apollo 9. As commander of Apollo 15, he was the first astronaut to perform a “stand-up EVA.” Before the main moonwalk, he opened the LM’s top hatch to stand on the engine cover and survey the landing site, providing geologists on Earth with their first panoramic view.
When he later descended the ladder and stepped onto the surface, his first words were a poised and eloquent reflection: Okay, Houston. As I stand out here in the wonders of the unknown at Hadley, I sort of realize there’s a fundamental truth to our nature. Man must explore.
This mission was a turning point for NASA, shifting the focus from simply getting to the Moon to conducting complex geological science. Scott and Irwin had received extensive geology training. Their mission led to one of the most significant discoveries of the Apollo program: the Genesis Rock. This sample was an anorthosite, a piece of what was believed to be the Moon’s primordial crust, offering a window back into the earliest days of the solar system.
James Irwin
James Irwin was a U.S. Air Force test pilot. As he descended the ladder, he had a moment of difficulty. He took a large jump down and nearly fell, an event that informed his first words.
Upon reaching the surface, his initial comment was a technical, and perhaps slightly shaken, observation to Scott: Boy, that front pad is really loose, isn’t it?
Apollo 16: The Descartes Highlands
In April 1972, Apollo 16 landed in a region that was completely different from previous sites. Commander John Young (astronaut) and Lunar Module Pilot Charles Duke set their LM, Orion, down in the Descartes Highlands. This was the first and only mission to land in the lunar highlands, an area of rugged, elevated terrain. Scientists had selected this site hoping to find evidence of volcanic activity.
John Young
John Young (astronaut) was a NASA legend. He was the only person to fly in the Gemini, Apollo, and Space Shuttle programs. Apollo 16 was his fourth spaceflight and his second trip to the Moon (he had orbited it on Apollo 10).
When Young stepped onto the lunar surface, his first words were full of enthusiasm and a touch of folksy humor: There you are: Mysterious and Unknown Descartes. Highland plains. Apollo 16 is gonna change your image. I’m sure glad they got ol’ Brer Rabbit, here, back in the briar patch where he belongs.
The Apollo 16 mission disproved the volcanic theory for the highlands. The rocks they collected, including the largest lunar sample returned by Apollo, a 26-pound (11.7 kg) rock named Big Muley, were breccias – rocks fused together by the intense heat and pressure of meteorite impacts. This finding reshaped scientific understanding of the Moon’s geological history.
Charlie Duke
Charles Duke was a U.S. Air Force pilot on his first spaceflight. He had famously served as the capsule communicator (CAPCOM) for Apollo 11, and his was the voice from Mission Control that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin spoke to during their landing.
Now, it was his turn to be on the Moon. As he stepped onto the surface, his words were a burst of pure, unadulterated excitement: Fantastic! Oh, that first foot on the lunar surface is super, Tony!
Apollo 17: The Final Mission
The final mission of the Apollo program took place in December 1972. Apollo 17 was the most ambitious of all the lunar landings. It was the only mission to launch at night and featured the longest stay on the Moon, the most EVAs, and the return of the largest cache of lunar samples. The LM Challenger landed in the Taurus–Littrow valley, a site chosen for its complex geology.
This mission was also unique for its crew. For the first and only time, a professional scientist, geologist Harrison Schmitt, would walk on the Moon, accompanying Commander Gene Cernan.
Eugene Cernan
Gene Cernan was a U.S. Navy pilot and a veteran of Gemini 9A and Apollo 10 (where he had flown with John Young (astronaut)). As commander of the last lunar mission, he knew his steps would be historic.
As he descended the ladder, he provided a procedural update to Houston: Okay, Houston. The Commander is about three quarters of the way down.
When he reached the LM’s footpad, he paused. He announced his position and then, as he stepped off onto the surface at Taurus–Littrow, he made a formal dedication: I’m on the footpad. And, Houston, as I step off at the surface at Taurus-Littrow, we’d like to dedicate the first step of Apollo 17 to all those who made it possible.
Once he was fully on the surface, his professionalism gave way to awe. His first words were: Jack, I’m out here. Oh, my golly! Unbelievable! Unbelievable; but is it bright in the Sun. Okay! We landed in a very shallow depression. That’s why we’ve got a slight pitch-up angle…very shallow, dinner-plate-like, dish crater just about the width of the struts. How you doing, Jack?
Harrison Schmitt
Harrison “Jack” Schmitt was a geologist who had been selected as part of NASA‘s first group of scientist-astronauts. He had trained other Apollo program crews but, with the program’s cancellation, Apollo 17 was his only chance to go. His presence on the mission was a key reason for its scientific success.
Schmitt’s first words from the Moon were a joke. As he came down the ladder and stepped onto the surface, he looked around at the pristine lunar soil, now marked by Cernan’s boot prints, and playfully asked: Hey, who’s been tracking up my lunar surface?
Schmitt’s trained eye would later lead to one of Apollo 17‘s most famous discoveries: the “orange soil.” This was a patch of tiny, orange-colored glass beads, which he immediately recognized as evidence of volcanic glass, a sign of ancient lunar fire fountains.
Summary
The first words spoken by the twelve men who walked on the Moon are as varied as the men themselves. They range from the poetic and prepared to the spontaneous, technical, and humorous. Some astronauts, like Neil Armstrong and David Scott, offered reflections on humanity and exploration. Others, like Pete Conrad and Charles Duke, reacted with bursts of spontaneous joy and humor. And many, including Buzz Aldrin and James Irwin, began their lunar explorations with the practical, technical observations of trained pilots and engineers.
Taken together, these statements form a human-scale record of a superhuman endeavor. They are the initial, personal impressions of the only human beings to have ever stood on another world, looking back at their home planet from a place of magnificent desolation.
Reference: First Words Spoken on the Moon
