Lunar Module Eagle (LM-5) is the spacecraft that served as the crewed lunar lander of Apollo 11, which was the first mission to land humans on the Moon. It was named after the bald eagle, which was featured prominently on the mission insignia. It flew from Earth to lunar orbit on the command module Columbia, and then was flown to the Moon on July 20, 1969, by astronaut Neil Armstrong with navigational assistance from Buzz Aldrin. Eagle's landing created Tranquility Base, named by Armstrong and Aldrin and first announced upon the module's touchdown.
Eagle at Tranquility Base, July 20, 1969. Neil Armstrong photographs Buzz Aldrin.
Lunar Module Eagle prior to extraction from S-IVB stage on July 16, 1969.
The plaque left on the ladder of Eagle.
Ascent stage of Eagle returns to Columbia on July 21, 1969.
A lunar lander or Moon lander is a spacecraft designed to land on the surface of the Moon. As of 2024, the Apollo Lunar Module is the only lunar lander to have ever been used in human spaceflight, completing six lunar landings from 1969 to 1972 during the United States' Apollo Program. Several robotic landers have reached the surface, and some have returned samples to Earth.
Apollo Apollo Lunar Module-5 Eagle as seen from CSM-107 Columbia