 On July 16, 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin, and Michael Collins boarded the Apollo 11 command module and launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on a mission to be the first men to land on the moon. Their successful landing on July 20 was watched on televisions around the world. Armstrong's first words after setting foot on the moon have become a part of history. While on the lunar surface, Armstrong and Aldrin collected samples of the moon to be analyzed when they returned safely to Earth. They spent a total of 21 hours on the moon before rejoining Collins orbiting overhead. They returned to Earth as heroes on July 24, forever immortalized by their actions. The successful lunar landing was the pinnacle moment of the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union.