• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
The forgotten astronaut of 1969 moon landing shared bizarre way they were treated upon returning to Earth

Home> Technology> Space

Published 18:34 17 Oct 2023 GMT+1

The forgotten astronaut of 1969 moon landing shared bizarre way they were treated upon returning to Earth

Michael Collins was the third astronaut in the 1969 Apollo 11 mission, which saw mankind first set foot on the moon

Emily Puckering

Emily Puckering

The 'forgotten astronaut' of the historic moon landing once opened up about the strange way he and the crew were treated upon arriving back on Earth.

NASA's 1969 Apollo 11 mission changed our knowledge on outer space as we know it, marking the first ever moment mankind set foot upon the surface of the moon.

"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," were the words of astronaut Neil Armstrong as he made the history-making steps on the lunar surface.

Edwin E 'Buzz' Aldrin followed closely behind, before the pair erected the American flag into the moon - a pivotal moment in the history of mankind.

Advert

But did you know that there was a third astronaut on board the the lunar command module that allowed Armstrong and Aldrin to take those infamous steps?

That astronaut was Michael Collins, who successfully piloted the spacecraft and got his crew safely back to Earth.

In 1969, history was made when mankind first set foot on the moon's lunar surface.
Heritage Space/Heritage Images via Getty Images

Collins, who died at the age of 90 in 2021, trained first as a fighter pilot and had always had dreams of seeing the stars.

Advert

Speaking to 60 Minutes Australia back in 2019, he said: "Did I have the best seat on Apollo 11? No. Was I happy with the seat I did have?

"Yes – I really was, and to be any small part of that suited me very, very well.

"And, besides, I was their ticket home – they couldn't get home without me."

As his crew mates collected rocks on the surface, Collins orbited on the far side of the moon in complete darkness.

Advert

(Left to right) Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, command module pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot.
NASA/Newsmakers

"The food was terrible, but I enjoyed my time behind the moon, it's a more rugged place and not a very comfortable place," he added.

While the moon was 'impressive', Collins said it was 'nothing compared to our home planet'.

But upon their return home, Collins admitted the way he and his crew were treated was slightly bizarre.

Advert

"We were put into quarantine for two weeks," he said. "Some of our scientists were worried about the pathogens that we might have brought back from the moon, they possibly would be dangerous to humankind.

Michael Collin died at the age of 90 in 2021.
ERIC BARADAT/AFP via Getty Images

"So, their solution to that was to put us inside a hermetically sealed container with a gigantic colony of white mice – [if] the white mice lived we were okay, [if the] white mice died we were in deep trouble.

"Of course, I was checking on them... there were too many of them to give names to but they became my friends."

Advert

Thankfully, the mice survived and the astronauts were soon reunited with their families and loved ones.

Space exploration and travel has come in leaps and bounds since 1969, with India making history as the first country to land on the moon's South Pole earlier this year.

Featured Image Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images / Bettmann/Getty Images

Topics: Space, NASA, US News, Technology

Emily Puckering
Emily Puckering

Emily is a sub-editor at LADbible Group. With degrees in English Language and Multimedia Journalism, she works with the editorial team on LADbible, UNILAD and Tyla sub-editing and writing articles. And for those who are interested, Emily is from East Yorkshire which means she makes a cracking cuppa.

X

@emily_puckering

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

16 hours ago
a day ago
2 days ago
  • 16 hours ago

    ISS astronaut reveals how they give haircuts in space and it's blown our mind

    Haircut while hurtling through space at 17,500 mph, anyone?

    Technology
  • a day ago

    Stunning footage caught from ISS shows SpaceX craft burning up as crew return to Earth

    America's most experienced astronaut Peggy Whitson, who has spent the most time in space than anyone outside of Russia, has splashed down

    Technology
  • a day ago

    Surprising iPhone trick not many people know can make your battery last much longer

    The really simple hack could prove to be hugely beneficial

    Technology
  • 2 days ago

    Expert reveals four key ways to spot a fake Labubu as toys start to sell for thousands of dollars

    'Clean, precise detailing and consistent paintwork' point towards authenticity

    Technology
  • Astronaut captured incredible footage of Earth during a spacewalk
  • NASA announces plans to build houses on the moon by 2040
  • Astronaut opens up on 'dramatic' feeling of returning to Earth from space
  • NASA reveals 'incredible' findings from 'dangerous' asteroid that could explain how life on Earth started