The hope of spreading values of individual freedom, democratic ideals and respect for the human spirit through the Apollo program inspired Americans to improve education, overcome obstacles, solve problems and look beyond the limits of their earthly existence.

The Moon, soon to intersect with Apollo, is now 10,000 nautical miles distant.

In full command of Earth's tides and other natural cycles, the Moon was exercising an unusual power over its inhabitants. Songs about love and connecting with one another dominated the airwaves from England, the U.S. and beyond. The dawning of a new age was at hand.

Moon crater Theophilus, prominent in Apollo's view, is 60 statute miles wide.

Children embraced the American tradition for exploration and discovery. They were guzzling tons of Tang, and followed the call "to boldly go where no man has gone before" when the space adventure Star Trek was launched in 1966.

16.07.69 Craters on the Moon's far side.  The rugged surface is typical of the terrain on the far side.

"If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundation under them." The words of Henry David Thoreau, a renowned American free-thinker of the 20th century, reveal the significance in America of the Apollo 11  mission.

The terrain on the near side of the Moon appears to have fewer blemishes.