View of two U.S. spacecraft on the surface of the moon, taken during the second Apollo 12 extravehicular activity (EVA-2). The Apollo 12 Lunar Module is in the background. The unmanned Surveyor III spacecraft is in the foreground (Photo: NASA).
LI Builders Remember 1969 Moonship
Updated: Saturday, 18 Jul 2009, 5:18 PM EDT
Published : Saturday, 18 Jul 2009, 4:52 PM EDT
FRANK ELTMAN, Associated Press Writer
BETHPAGE, N.Y. (AP) - The 40th anniversary of the first moon landing is a moment of particular pride for current and former employees who contributed to the effort at a Long Island defense plant.
Thousands of Grumman employees designed and built the spidery looking lunar module that carried Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin to the moon on July 20, 1969.
Six lunar modules in all carried 12 astronauts to the surface of the moon and back to Earth. A seventh played a critical part in helping return three Apollo 13 astronauts after an oxygen tank overheated and exploded.
Some believe Grumman, now a part of Northrop Grumman Aerospace Industries, was chosen to build the lunar module because of its expertise making planes to land on aircraft carriers. The F-14 of "Top Gun" movie fame was a Grumman aircraft.
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