It was the only part of the Apollo 11 spacecraft that came back from the moon. Designing, testing and building it was a monumental task, according to two engineers who were part of the effort.

On July 17, 1975, an American Apollo crew and a Soviet Soyuz crew met up in Earth orbit for the first time, setting the ...

NASA's Apollo 11 command module Columbia is back in Houston for the first time in 48 years. Here's how to see it. Skip to main content. Open menu Close menu. Space. Search. Search Space.

The command module performed so well that NASA felt confident in making a bold move — sending Apollo 8 all the way around the moon in December. Apollo 9 was an Earth-orbit test of the lunar module.

It was the only part of the Apollo 11 spacecraft that came back from the moon. Designing, testing and building it was a monumental task, according to two engineers who were part of the effort.

The command module performed so well that NASA felt confident in making a bold move — sending Apollo 8 all the way around the moon in December. Apollo 9 was an Earth-orbit test of the lunar module.

It was the only part of the Apollo 11 spacecraft that came back from the moon. Designing, testing and building it was a monumental task, according to two engineers who were part of the effort.

Look at a picture of the Apollo 11 launch and you'll probably notice the rocket's pointed tip and the fire coming from the five giant engines in the first stage of the 36-story-tall Saturn V rocket.