Fifty-five years ago Saturday, humanity made its first visit to the lunar surface with Apollo ... launch position − and attaching the rocket boosters. "We'd bring the mobile launch platform ...

That same day, NASA managers met to select a formal target launch date. That meeting resulted in 16 July 1969 being chosen as Apollo 11’s launch day – a target the mission would meet.

Personnel within the Launch Control Center watch the Apollo 11 liftoff. The LCC is located 3.5 miles from the launch pad.

That July, the Apollo 11 mission would attempt just that. I was 22, a year out of Colorado College and working as a photographer at Time magazine's Miami bureau. In the days before the launch ...