1.
MV Control room and countdown at 0035 seconds SOF starts "...reports both men... " Countdown 0 at 22 feet, 6.7 metres, 35 seconds.
0.46

2.
ANIMATION of Lunar Module liftoff
0.53

3.
LV ANIMATION Lunar Module climbing.
1.00

4.
LV ANIMATION from Capsule of Lunar Module climbing towards.
1.53

5.
MV ANIMATION Lunar Module climbing (SOF ENDS: "..back and forth.")
2.05



Initials JH/V-SAT-TELE/CT/PC



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: MISSION CONTROLLERS IN HOUSTON WAITED TENSELY TODAY (MONDAY) UNTIL THE VOICES OF ASTRONAUTS NEIL ARMSTRONG AND EDWIN ALDRIN ANNOUNCED THE SUCCESSFUL BLASTOFF OF THE UPPER HALF OF THE LUNAR MODULE EAGLE FROM THE MOON'S SURFACE. AN APPARENTLY FLAWLESS SEVEN-MINUTE-AND SEVENTEEN-SECOND BURN OF THE MOONSHIP'S ASCENT ENGINE - ONLY ONE SECOND SHORT OF THE PLANNED FIRING TIME - BROUGHT THE FIRST LUNAR EXPLORERS INTO ORBIT AROUND THE MOON AND PREPARED THE WAY FOR RENDEZVOUS WITH WAITING MOTHER-SHIP COLUMBIA, PILOTED BY ASTRONAUT MICHAEL COLLINS, WHICH WILL BRING THE THREE ASTRONAUTS BACK TO EARTH ON THURSDAY (24 JULY).

THE UPPER STAGE ENGINE APPEARED TO FUNCTION AS FAITHFULLY AS THE LOWER HALF ROCKET, WHICH POWERED EAGLE TO A GENTLE TOUCHDOWN ON THE SEA OF TRANQUILLITY YESTERDAY (SUNDAY) AFTERNOON. DESPITE THE FACT THAT TODAY WAS THE FIRST TIME THE MOONCRAFT'S ASCENT STAGE HAD BEEN FIRED FROM A FIXED BASE - AND THE FIRST TIME EAGLE'S ASCENT ENGINE HAD EVER BEEN FIRED - THE ASTRONAUTS APPEARED AS SERENE AND UNFLAPPABLE AS DURING THE TENSION OF YESTERDAY'S LUNAR LANDING.

IN A CALM VOICE, ALDRIN READ OFF THE FINAL COUNTDOWN TO BLASTOFF, AND REPORTED "BEAUTIFUL ... VERY SMOOTH ... QUIET RIDE". IN THIS, AND OTHER COMMUNICATIONS AT THIS POINT BETWEEN MISSION CONTROL IN HOUSTON AND THE SPACESHIP EAGLE, THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE STATIC WHICH CAUSED SOME WORDS TO BECOME INDISTINCT.

THE BLASTOFF FROM TRANQUILLITY BASE CAME EXACTLY ON SCHEDULE AND, AFTER A SERIES OF INTRICATE MANOEUVRES, THE FIRST TWO MEN TO WALK ON THE MOON LINKED UP WITH COLUMBIA, PILOTED IN ORBIT BY COLLINS.

THE TWO SHIPS WERE LINKED AGAIN AFTER 27 HOURS AND 51 MINUTES APART.

THE LUNAR MODULE, WHICH STARTED OFF ON ITS MOON LANDING MISSION WEIGHING MORE THAN 32,000 POUNDS (ABOUT 14,300 KILOS), WAS A MERE EAGLET OF SOME 5,800 POUNDS (2,525 KILOS) AS IT HEADED ON THE LAST LAP OF ITS JOURNEY AT 5,410 FEET PER SECOND (1,646 METRES PER SECOND).