Apollo 11 Moon Rock, 1969
Rock collected during the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon. This is sample 10003, 25, a low-potassium, medium-grained basalt rock with ophitic texture (lath-shaped plagioclase crystals surrounded by pyroxene minerals). Rock 10003 was the first rock removed from the bulk sample box in the vacuum lab. Apollo 11 was the spaceflight that landed the first two people on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo Lunar Module Eagle on July 20, 1969. Armstrong became the first person to step onto the lunar surface six hours later on July 21; Aldrin joined him 19 minutes later. They spent about two hours together outside the spacecraft, and collected 47.5 pounds of lunar material to bring back to Earth. Command module pilot Michael Collins flew the command module Columbia alone in lunar orbit while they were on the Moon's surface. Armstrong and Aldrin spent 21.5 hours on the lunar surface before rejoining Columbia in lunar orbit
