One of the more obscure scenes of the launch of Apollo 11, carrying the crew of the lunar landing mission, Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin “Buzz” E. Aldrin Jr. A 70mm Airborne Lightweight Optical Tracking System (ALOTS) camera, mounted in a pod on a cargo door of a U.S. Air Force EC-135N aircraft, photographed this event in the early moments of the Apollo 11 launch. The mated Apollo spacecraft and Saturn V second and third stages pull away from the expended first stage. Separation occurred at an altitude of about 38 miles, some 55 miles downrange from Cape Kennedy. The aircraft's pod is 20 feet long and 5 feet in diameter. Credit: NASA #nasa #apollo11 #apollo50th #saturnv #usairforce #launch #cameraangles #adastra #tothemoon #moon2024