A salute to Apollo 11

"The earth is the cradle of humankind, but one cannot live in the cradle forever." -- Konstantin Tsiolkovsky

"We choose to go to the Moon. We choose to go to the Moon. We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard." -- John F. Kennedy


Apollo 11 plaque:
HERE MEN FROM THE PLANET EARTH FIRST SET FOOT UPON THE MOON
JULY 1969, A.D.
WE CAME IN PEACE FOR ALL MANKIND.
(Signatures: Armstrong, Collins, Aldrin, Nixon)


"To think that twelve guys went there and we've figured it out-that's crazy." -Apollo 16 Commander John Young

"We leave as we came and God willing as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind" - Apollo 17's Gene Cernan


"So if we can put a man on the moon, why can't we put a man on the moon?" - Robert Zubrin, 2004

"There can be no thought of finishing, for 'aiming at the stars,' both literally and figuratively, is a problem to occupy generations, so that no matter how much progress one makes, there is always the thrill of just beginning." - Robert Goddard, 1932 letter to H.G. Wells


And from the three astronauts:


Many say exploration is part of our destiny, but it’s actually our duty to future generations and their quest to ensure the survival of the human species.
— Buzz Aldrin

The regret on our side is, they used to say years ago, we are reading about you in science class. Now they say, we are reading about you in history class.
— Neil Armstrong

It’s human nature to stretch, to go, to see, to understand. Exploration is not a choice, really; it’s an imperative.
— Michael Collins