Moon Launch Live: relive the launch day of Apollo 11 on Channel 4 tonight

This month marks 50 years since the historic Apollo 11 mission and the Moon Landing - a landmark event in world history.
This month marks 50 years since the historic Apollo 11 mission and the Moon Landing (Photo: Channel 4)This month marks 50 years since the historic Apollo 11 mission and the Moon Landing (Photo: Channel 4)
This month marks 50 years since the historic Apollo 11 mission and the Moon Landing (Photo: Channel 4)

On 20 July 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on the surface of the moon and paved the way for the Apollo lunar landing missions to follow.

'A giant leap for mankind'

Tonight (13 July) on Channel 4, viewers can relive the drama of the historic launch day of Apollo 11.

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Combining footage from the NASA archive with global television footage from the day, viewers can take a step back in time to watch all of the events unfold ahead of the successful launch.

The spacecraft was launched from Cape Kennedy at 13:32:00 UT on 16 July 1969, landing four days later in the Sea of Tranquility.

Apollo 11 achieved its primary mission in performing a manned lunar landing and returning to safely to Earth.

Both Armstrong and Aldrin also spent more than two hours outside of the spacecraft between them, collecting samples from the surface, taking pictures and setting up a number of scientific experiments.

After more than eight days in space, the astronauts returned to Earth and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on 24 July.

When is it on TV?

Moon Launch Live will air on Channel 4 tonight at 8pm.