The Scotsman archive: How we reported the first Man on the Moon

“The Scotsman held the front page to allow the story that stopped the world to unfold.”

The historic touchdown of Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin on the Moon came just after 9pm GMT on July 20, 1969 with the “landing so perfect” that the first steps onto the lunar surface came hours earlier than first planned.

The Scotsman held the front page to allow the story that stopped the world to unfold.Television coverage might have ruled during the moon mission but the pages of the print press serve as a tangible record of the moment that touched humanity.

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From Houston, a reporter wired through the night the words that splashed on July 21.

“Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin today flew their fragile moonship Eagle to a gentle touchdown on the Moon.

“ The landing was so perfect that they decided to shorten their rest period and step on to the Moon earlier than scheduled,” the intro said.

The full page which shows the right-hand column left open to the wire for the latest updates from the Moon. PIC: The Scotsman.The full page which shows the right-hand column left open to the wire for the latest updates from the Moon. PIC: The Scotsman.
The full page which shows the right-hand column left open to the wire for the latest updates from the Moon. PIC: The Scotsman. | The Scotsman

“As the landing—four miles from the scheduled landing spot - was confirmed the ground controller was heard to say: ‘We got a bunch of guys on the ground about to turn blue. We’re breathing again,’ the story continued.

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The calm voices of the astronauts, matched by the “coolness and enthusiasm at mission control” charted the descent of the flight.

“Ten minutes after landing Aldrin radioed: ‘We'll get to the details of what’s around here. But it looks like a collection of every variety of shape, angularity, granularity, a collection of just about every kind of rock,” the article said.

Dr Charles Berry, medical director of the space agency, said the decision to leave the Eagle earlier than planned was agreed to because the astronauts had slept well and were both rested and excited.

Information from a biomedical harness strapped to Armstrong’s body showed that, at the time of the manual descent and landing - adopted to avoid a football pitch-sized crater - the mission commander’s heart rate was 156 beats a minute. After the landing it dropped into the 90s.

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The front page also carried details of the first lunar meal of Armstrong and Aldrin - bacon squares, peaches, sugar cookies, biscuits and fruit drink.

But what the page didn’t carry was the iconic image of Armstrong on the moon. That came too late for the first edition.

The front page is also striking given it appears incomplete. As the final deadline for copy strained to the wire, the right hand column was kept clear for the latest updates. The column is not completely set with text missing.

The last three pars read: “At 0352 (BST) Armstrong emerged from module to stand on porch outside and two minutes later first television picture was flashed from Moon.

“Armstong stepped onto Moon’s surface at 0356BST”.

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Within the page, another par reflects the challenges in reporting the latest from the moon.

“Moonwalk Special: A special late edition of The Scotsman will be on sale later this morning given fuller details of the moonwalk,” it said.

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