ARMSTRONG DESCENDING LADDER FROM LUNAR MODULE; WALKING ON MOON'S SURFACE; COLLECTING "CONTINGENCY" SAMPLES OF LUNAR SOIL: ALDRIN ON LADDER AND JUMPS TO GROUND; BOTH MEN STAND TOGETHER.




Initials TS/V-SAT-TELE/PN/LAD


EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: SUPERIMPOSED TIMES ON THE TELERECORDING ARE CENTRAL EUROPEAN TIME. THE RECORDING OF THIS EXTRACT WAS CUT SHORT SO THAT THE FILM COULD BE SHIPPED ON EARLY FLIGHTS. FURTHER COVERAGE WILL FOLLOW.

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Background: US ASTRONAUT NEIL ARMSTRONG TODAY BECAME THE FIRST MAN TO SET FOOT ON THE MOON WHEN HE STEPPED CAUTIOUSLY DOWN THE STEPS OF THE LUNAR MODULE EAGLE ONTO THE LUNAR SURFACE AT EXACTLY 03.56 AND 20 SECONDS CENTRAL EUROPEAN TIME. HE WAS FOLLOWED A SHORT WHILE LATER BY BUZZ ALDRIN WHO SHOT THE HISTORIC PICTURES AS ARMSTRONG DESCENDED THE NINE RUNGS OF THE LADDER FROM THE LUNAR MODULE.

TELEVISION VIEWERS ON EARTH COULD CLEARLY MAKE OUT THE SPACE-SUITED ASTRONAUT IN THE BLACK SHADOW OF LUNAR MODULE EAGLE, WHICH HAD LANDED ON THE MOON LESS THAN SEVEN HOURS EARLIER.

THERE WERE TENSE MOMENTS AS ARMSTRONG TOOK MORE THAN THE 16 MINUTES SCHEDULED BETWEEN PUTTING ON HIS BACK-PACK OF OXYGEN AND SETTING HIS FOOT GINGERLY ON THE SURFACE OF THE MOON. THEN HE BEGAN WALKING WITH A SLOW, JERKY GAIT AND REPORTED BACK TO MISSION CONTROL IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, THAT THE SURFACE WAS FINE AND POWDERY.

"IT'S GOT A STARK BEAUTY ALL OF ITS OWN", HE SAID.

ARMSTRONG'S FIRST TASK WAS TO PICK UP THE SO-CALLED "CONTINGENCY" SAMPLES OF LUNAR SOIL WHICH HE PUT IN HIS TROUSER LEG POCKET IN CASE THE MOON-WALK SHOULD HAVE TO BE CUT SHORT.

A SHORT WHILE LATER, FELLOW ASTRONAUT BUZZ ALDRIN APPEARED ON THE LADDER OF THE LUNAR MODULE AND HE JUMPED THE LAST THREE FEET (ONE METRE) TO THE MOON'S SURFACE.

THE TWO MEN STOOD TOGETHER BRIEFLY ON THE SURFACE OF THE MOON.

AS THE MOON-WALK CONTINUED, THE PICTURES BEING RELAYED BACK TO EARTH BECAME EVEN MORE DRAMATIC AND CLEAR. BOTH MEN SET ABOUT THEIR TASKS, PHOTOGRAPHING AND COLLECTING LUNAR SAMPLES, AND PUTTING IN PLACE EQUIPMENT WHICH WILL REMAIN AFTER THEIR RETURN TO EARTH.

BEHIND THEM THE ASTRONAUT WERE DUE TO LEAVE THE UNITED STATES FLAG, MICRO-FILMED MESSAGES, AND A PLAQUE BEARING THE SIGNATURE OF US PRESIDENT NIXON AND THE LEGEND "WE CAME IN PEACE FOR ALL MANKIND".