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Fly Me to the Moon (2024)

Earth → Earth orbit → Moon orbit → Moon → Earth

July 1969, the real Apollo 11 mission (with a back-up fake landing staged on Earth). 850,737 km in all on the map.

Moon, 16 Jul 1969Moon, 24 Jul 1969Moon, 19 Jul 1969Earth2534To scale, seen from above.Coasting orbits that fit the times.The swing around the Moon is drawn wider than it was.
15Orange lines over the map: the ground under the ship in orbit, from the launch site.
Mare ImbriumMare TranquillitatisCopernicusMare Nubium4
On the Moon
  1. 1

    Kennedy Space Center, Launch Complex 39A Earth · 16 Jul 1969, 13:32 UTC

    Cole Davis's crew sends Apollo 11 off while Kelly Jones's fake landing set waits in a hangar.

    Saturn V · 12 minutes

  2. 2

    Earth parking orbit Earth, orbit · 16 Jul 1969, 13:43 UTC

    One and a half turns around the Earth before the S-IVB fires them towards the Moon.

    Columbia and Eagle · 439,021 km · 3 days

  3. 3

    Lunar orbit Moon, orbit · 19 Jul 1969, 17:21 UTC

    Lunar orbit insertion behind the Moon; Collins stays in Columbia while Eagle goes down.

    Eagle · 27 hours

  4. 4

    Tranquility Base, Mare Tranquillitatis Moon · 20 Jul 1969, 20:17 UTC

    The real landing goes out live after Kelly swaps the staged broadcast for the true feed.

    Eagle, then Columbia · 411,717 km · 4 days

  5. 5

    Splashdown, North Pacific Earth · 24 Jul 1969, 16:50 UTC

    Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins come home.