LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Apollo
11 Mission, and the landing of men on the lunar surface and their safe
return to Earth

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to commemorate signif-
icant events which represent turning points in our unique history and
which are indelibly etched in the saga of our great Nation; and
WHEREAS, It is also the sense of this Legislative Body to call atten-
tion to those momentous historical occasions which serve as lasting
reminders of our rich and unique past, and honor those individuals whose
historic achievements are an inspiration to all New Yorkers; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commem-
orate the 40th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Mission, and the landing of
men on the lunar surface and their safe return to Earth; and
WHEREAS, The purpose of the Apollo 11 mission was to land men on the
lunar surface and to return them safely to earth; the mission was crewed
by Neil A. Armstrong, commander of the mission; Michael Collins, command
module pilot; and Edwin E. (Buzz) Aldrin, Jr., lunar module pilot; and
WHEREAS, The lift-off of the Saturn V rocket commencing the Apollo 11
mission occurred on July 16, 1969; after the launch, the Apollo 11
spacecraft was inserted into lunar orbit about 76 hours into the
mission; after a rest period, astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin entered
the lunar module and prepared for descent to the lunar surface; the two
spacecraft were undocked when the command and service modules separated
from the lunar module; and
WHEREAS, On July 20, 1969, the spacecraft landed in the Sea of Tran-
quility at 4:18 p.m. EDT; six hours after landing, the human race accom-
plished its single greatest technological achievement of all time when
Neil Armstrong stepped off the lunar module and set foot on the lunar
surface and proclaimed, "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap
for mankind"; and
WHEREAS, Neil Armstrong was shortly joined on the lunar surface by
Buzz Aldrin; together they collected 46 pounds of basalts, dark-colored
igneous lunar rocks, the first samples taken from another planetary
body, these rocks were approximately 3.7 billion years old; and
WHEREAS, After 21 hours on the lunar surface, Neil Armstrong and Buzz
Aldrin successfully lifted-off from the lunar surface on July 21, 1969,
and docked with the command and service modules; the crew then jetti-
soned the ascent stage rocket and prepared for trans-earth injection;
and
WHEREAS, On July 24, 1969, the Apollo 11 mission splashed down in the
Pacific Ocean, successfully completing the national objective to land
men on the Moon and return them safely to Earth; and
WHEREAS, Neil A. Armstrong, earned his Bachelor of Science degree in
aeronautical engineering from Purdue University, and his Master of
Science degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Southern
California; Edwin E. (Buzz) Aldrin, Jr. received a Bachelor of Science
degree in 1951 from the United States Military Academy at West Point,
New York, graduating third in his class; he also holds a Doctorate of
Science in Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology;
and Michael Collins received a Bachelor of Science degree from the
United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, in 1952; and
WHEREAS, The astronauts who made such a monumental impact on space
exploration were all veterans of the United States Armed Forces: Neil A.
Armstrong flew 78 combat missions over Korea, and served with Navy
Fighter Squadron 51, Air Group 5, aboard the USS Essex; he was shot down

once in combat; Edwin E. (Buzz) Aldrin, Jr. was an Air Force jet fighter
pilot in Korea, where he flew 66 combat missions in F-86 Sabres, and
shot down two enemy MiG fighters; and Michael Collins was an Air Force
veteran of the Cold War; initially stationed with the 21st Fighter-Bom-
ber Wing in France in 1954, he later flew out of Germany during the 1956
Hungarian crisis; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when events and
individuals of such historic significance are brought to our attention,
they should be recognized by all the citizens of this great Empire
State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Mission, and the land-
ing of men on the lunar surface and their safe return to Earth; and be
it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the three astrounaunts, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and
Edwin Aldrin Jr.