The crew consisted of Commander Neil Armstrong (a veteran U.S. navy aviator who was a civilian at the time of the mission), Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. (then an active-duty officer in the U.S. Air Force), and Michael Collins (also a U.S. Air Force officer). Aldrin was the second person on the moon. Collins orbited in the command module, ''Columbia''; Armstrong and Aldrin descended to the surface in the lunar excursion module, ''Eagle''. They broadcast their brief visit to the lunar surface live on international television. During their visit they placed the American [[Flag of the United States of America|flag]] along with a plaque which read: ''"Here men from the planet Earth first set foot on the moon July 1969, A.D. We came in peace for all mankind."'' They also gathered rocks and soil during their visit. Aldrin, a Presbyterian elder, administered the Rite of Communion to himself while on the moon, but did not disclose this due to concerns that the act might be protested by secular activists. | The crew consisted of Commander Neil Armstrong (a veteran U.S. navy aviator who was a civilian at the time of the mission), Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. (then an active-duty officer in the U.S. Air Force), and Michael Collins (also a U.S. Air Force officer). Aldrin was the second person on the moon. Collins orbited in the command module, ''Columbia''; Armstrong and Aldrin descended to the surface in the lunar excursion module, ''Eagle''. They broadcast their brief visit to the lunar surface live on international television. During their visit they placed the American [[Flag of the United States of America|flag]] along with a plaque which read: ''"Here men from the planet Earth first set foot on the moon July 1969, A.D. We came in peace for all mankind."'' They also gathered rocks and soil during their visit. Aldrin, a Presbyterian elder, administered the Rite of Communion to himself while on the moon, but did not disclose this due to concerns that the act might be protested by secular activists. |