[Apollo 11]

THE ONLY FULL-BODY PHOTOGRAPH OF ARMSTRONG ON THE MOON, ONE OF THE RAREST FROM APOLLO 11.

This photograph, taken by the 70mm Hasselblad camera, captures Armstrong packing the bulk sample on the Modularized Equipment Stowage Assembly (MESA) table during the first ever moonwalk. It includes incorrect press information on the verso: “APOLLO 11 / ASTRONAUT EDWIN E. ALDRIN JR. AFTER PLANTING U.S. ENSIGN AND SOME SCIENTIFIC TEST EQUIPMENT, STANDING BY LUNAR MODULE (THE EAGLE).” 

It was long believed that Buzz Aldrin captured no photographs of Armstrong on the Moon. Post mission, the Public Affairs division of NASA examined the newly developed 70mm and motion picture film looking for a press-worthy image of the first man on the Moon and they wondered if a still image of Armstrong on the Moon existed. The head of Public Affairs at Manned Space Flight Center (now Johnson Space Center) Brian Duff called Armstrong, who was still quarantined in the Lunar Receiving Laboratory. Duff recalled the conversation years later:

Duff: "Neil, this is Brian. When did you give the camera to Buzz?"

Armstrong: "I never did."

Duff: "Thanks."

At this point the team went with the now classic "Visor Shot" of Buzz Aldrin and it was assumed that Aldrin never had the 70mm Hasselblad camera and took no pictures. In fact, Duff misunderstood Armstrong's very precise answer. Armstrong was never intended to hand the camera to Aldrin. The flight plan specified that Armstrong leave the camera on the MESA and Aldrin would pick it up when ready. Aldrin did indeed use the Hasselblad during the EVA. Images 5876-5900; 5904-5926 on Magazine S (40) were all shot by Aldrin. Two British researchers, H.J.P. Arnold and Keith Wilson, independently realized this fact. Wilson, after confirming with Neil Armstrong, was the first to publish his findings in the August 1987 issue of the magazine Spaceflight.

It was about 18 years post-mission that it was finally determined that it was Armstrong featured in AS11-40-5886 and, consequently, very few photographs of this image had been originally issued. This photograph was printed soon after the mission: before 1972 based upon the paper and printing method. It includes the inaccurate press information on the verso, which is indicative of the press office misunderstanding, as NASA had believed this shot was captured by Armstrong. 

Literature

Jones, Eric M. Apollo 11 Lunar Surface Journal: AS11-40-5886. 2019.