Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin and Michael Collins' trip to the moon concluded with a stay in Hawaii. Last week marked the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, but after those historic first steps NASA still had to get the three astronauts safely back to Earth, and the waters off Hawaii are where the cone-shaped spacecraft splashed down.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported last Wednesday, the anniversary of the astronaut's return to Earth, that the crew hit the atmosphere at 40,000 kph, creating a fireball that was visible to the crew of the waiting recovery aircraft carrier USS Hornet stationed about 1,450 kilometers southwest of Hawaii.
About 25,000 people watched on July 26, 1969, as the astronauts made a 4.8-kilometer trip to board their flight back to Houston.
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