The Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia carried astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, and Michael Collins on their historic voyage to the Moon and back on July16-24, 1969. During the mission, astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin became the first human explorers of another world.
The Apollo 11 mission had three spacecraft: the Command Module Columbia, a Service Module, and the Lunar Module Eagle. While astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin descended to the Moon in Eagle, Michael Collins remained alone in Columbia. For 28 hours he served as a communications link and photographed the lunar surface. After reclaiming Armstrong and Aldrin from the ascent stage of the Lunar Module, Columbia was the only part of the spacecraft to return to Earth.
During the journey to and from the Moon, Columbia—its interior space about as roomy as a large automobile—served as main quarters for the astronauts, a place for working and living.