In total, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stayed on the moon for about 22 hours, and got only about 2 hours outside the lunar lander. After that, it was all aboard for the trip back home.

You’re on the Sound Beat.

You’re listening to Flying Home, recorded by the Benny Goodman Sextet. Much like the Apollo crew, the Sextet was made up of pioneers in their field: Goodman, of course, Charlie Christian, Arthur Bernstein, Fletcher Henderson, Nick Fatool, and Lionel Hampton.

The lunar module rendezvoused with Collins, who’d been orbiting the moon while the others had their fun, on the 21st of July, 1969. On the 22nd they started flying home in earnest, and would reenter Earth’s gravity (and it’s Pacific ocean) on July 24th.

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