Less than twelve years after the first human-made spacecraft went into orbit, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin achieved an amazing feat: At 2017:40 UT on 20 July 1969 the Apollo 11 Lunar Module "Eagle" touched down on the Moon's surface to establish "Tranquility Base" - the first human presence on a planetary surface beyond the Earth's atmosphere - while Michael Collins orbited above to maintain their ride home.

I took this picture of Buzz Aldrin, now the oldest surviving moon walker, at the Apollo 11 landing's 50th anniversary banquet held at the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

Today is Moon Day 53, an L5 National Holiday, the anniversary of one of the greatest achievements in human history. Let us honor its memory by vowing to re-open the door to deep space, and by realizing that vow with the actions necessary to bring it to fruition.

For more information about the L5 National Holidays, see https://L5Nation.com/supt/holidays.php