Astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins had already spent months in training as the backup crew for Apollo 8 when, on Jan. 9, 1969, they were named as the crew for Apollo 11, the first mission to land men on the moon.
The three had six months to practice every action of their mission over and over again, from retrieving samples of the lunar surface to stepping on and off the ladder of the lunar module. Here's a collection of 16 interesting photographs capture their training on the fake lunar surface in 1969.
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| April 15, 1969. Neil Armstrong adjusts an S-band communications antenna in training exercises at the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, Texas. |
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| April 15, 1969. The astronauts in training prepare to move a passive seismometer, which they will leave on the moon to record seismic activity. |
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| April 15, 1969. Aldrin uses a scoop to collect "surface samples" while Armstrong takes pictures. |
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| April 1969. The Apollo astronauts leave a spacecraft after a launch countdown test at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. |
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| April 15, 1969. Armstrong leads Collins and Aldrin down a corridor to a launch countdown test. |
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| July 18, 1969. The Apollo astronauts head to the launch facility for their mission. |
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| April 15, 1969. Armstrong prepares to practice lunar surface activities. |
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| April 15, 1969. Armstrong adjusts a passive seismometer while Aldrin lays out the Laser Ranging Experiment. |
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| April 15, 1969. Armstrong practices the collection of lunar samples. |
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| April 15, 1969. Armstrong practices deploying an S-band antenna. |
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| April 15, 1969. Armstrong and Aldrin practice lunar surface activities. |
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| April 15, 1969. Armstrong practices lunar surface activities. |
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| April 15, 1969. A technician helps Armstrong suit up before a launch countdown test. |
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| May 8, 1969. Armstrong and Aldrin practice lunar surface activities. |
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| July 16, 1969. |
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| April 15, 1969. Armstrong and Aldrin practice lunar surface maneuvers. |
(Photos © SSPL/Getty Images, via
Mashable/Retronaut)
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