[CaptainCrunch]

At 6:30 AM Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins were strapped into the Command Module of the Apollo 11 to go through the complex pre launch checks.


At about 9:27 AM the automated 3 minute and 20 second count down began, and in from of hundreds of family members, government officials and foreign dignitaries, the Apollo 11's 5 massive F-1 engines ignited propelling the Saturn V past the launch gantry and into space.



The first stage burned for 2 minutes and 40 seconds followed by separation and ignition of the second stage engines 5 J2 rockets with double the thrust of the first stage engines burned for a little over 9 minutes before separating as the third stage a single J-2 engine ignited and thrust the Apollo 11 Command Module with the call sign Snow cone which carried the Lunar module with the Call sign Eagle attained stable orbit at an altitude of 185 KM. The J-2 re-ignited to orient and push the Command Module on its journey to the moon. At about 17:00 UTC time, Michael Collins performed the extraction of the Lunar Module from the separated third stage and the two space craft began their 3 day journey to the moon.