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Apollo 11 (July 16–24, 1969) was the American spaceflight that first landed humans on the moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo Lunar Module Eagle on July 20, 1969, at 20:17 UTC (coordinated Universal Time), and Armstrong became the first person to step onto the Moon's surface six hours and 39 minutes later, on July 21 at 02:56 UTC. Aldrin joined him 19 minutes later, and they spent just over two hours together exploring the site named Tranquility Base. Armstrong and Aldrin collected 47.5 pounds of lunar material to bring back to Earth as pilot Michael Collins flew the Command Module Columbia in lunar orbit, and were on the Moon's surface for 21 hours, 36 minutes before lifting off to rejoin Columbia. 
An aerogramme marks the 50th anniversary of man's landing on the moon in July 1969. The €2,40 postal indicia is a photograph of a footprint on the moon's surface. A photo of an astronaut walking on the moon is included in the design. Pope Paul VI is also depicted on the aerogramme because it was during his pontificate that the first landing occurred. It and other space travel events were closely followed by the pope, as explained by Michael Lamothe's article on the US space program included in the third quarter 2019 issue of Vatican Notes. Reference: <a href='https://www.vaticanstamps.org/vaticannotes/idisplay.php?p=67-381-10-11&r=4'>Michael Lamothe's - Vatican City and the US Space Program</a>

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