What time did Neil Armstrong step on the Moon? 21 July 1969, 02:56 UTC

Short answer: Neil Armstrong stepped onto the lunar surface at 02:56:15 UTC on 21 July 1969. In Houston it was 22:56 on 20 July, Eastern Daylight Time. That is why American sources often say 20 July and European sources 21 July. The minute on the UTC record is 1969-07-21 02:56.

After the landing

*Eagle* landed at 20:17 UTC. The plan allowed for a rest period, but the crew asked to go out early. Depressurising the cabin and putting on the suits still took hours.

02:56

Armstrong climbed down the ladder, watched live by an audience estimated at around 600 million people, and said: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Buzz Aldrin followed about 19 minutes later.

One event, two dates

The step happened in one minute, but on two calendar dates depending on where you were. UTC removes the confusion: it is 02:56 on 21 July.

Sources

• NASA: Apollo 11 Mission Overview
• NASA: Apollo 11 Lunar Surface Journal, first steps