Apollo 11: Lunar Landing, 20 July 1969 3:17 PM CDT
This is the eighth of eleven geocaches being placed in commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11. These caches are being scheduled to publish at 50 years after the event each one represents. The city where they are placed has the distinction of sharing its name with the Apollo 11 Command Module, Columbia.
After undocking the lunar module, Eagle (crewed by Armstrong and Aldrin), from the command module, Columbia (crewed by Collins), the crew carry out about 80 minutes of additional checks and small maneuvers as the craft separate from each other. They also spend time updating their navigational data to ensure proper landing trajectory and to synchronize their orbital data for rendezvous following the Eagle’s return from the lunar surface. Finally ready in all respects, the Eagle’s engines are fired to decelerate the lunar module and drop it into the lower orbit from which it will begin its final powered descent to the surface. Once again the crew pauses for system checks and navigational validations.
At 3:05 PM CDT Eagle’s engines are again fired, this time for powered descent to the surface. Neil Armstrong is piloting the spacecraft as it descends from 50,000 feet. Experiencing intermittent communications loss and some minor flight anomalies along the way delays their descent causing them to overshoot the designated landing target by some 3 miles. Program alarms begins occurring including low fuel. Straying to close to a crater area populated with large boulders it was necessary to drift on for a better landing site. Armstrong switch in and out of manual flight mode multiple times along the way.
Finally finding a suitable area while only 250 feet above the surface, Armstrong decides to finish the descent. Now able to see their own shadow on the moon Aldrin can use it as a reference to help Armstrong maneuver. With about 45 seconds of flight fuel remaining, contact is detected.
At 3:17 PM CDT on 20 July 1969, history is made as the first manned landing on the moon is accomplished. “Houston, Tranquility Base here: the Eagle has landed.”
Cache is NOT at the published coordinates.
The published coordinates will take you on a hike to the closest thing Columbia has to a lunar crater. This feature has high cliff walls all around and a wide flat floor. There is only a single entry point that is at floor level and requires no climbing to enter the crater. It is easiest to reach this point by following the local trails. A trail map is posted at the given reference point and is available online via Columbia Parks & Recreation. Look for Cosmo Park. There you will find maps of the greater Cosmo Park area and more specifically of the trails within Cosmo Park.
Knowing where you are, it should be obvious that you are in the N 38 W 92 range, so that I will just give you. What you must determine is the rest of the coordinate information. Located at the entry to the crater you will find a trail marker bearing information that you need. I kept things on the up and up, but that really isn't critical. What does matter is that I tell you that bicycles can run up and down the map minus 2124, but bicycles are not allowed to run across the map minus 39569.
DO NOT DRIVE to or park at the nearby cellular tower; the service road is marked "NO TRESPASSING, VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED. You are expected to hike to the location which can be reached via the local park trail system. From the final location you may be able to observe another local “lunar landscape.”
This geocache has been placed in accordance with the published guidelines of Columbia Parks & Recreation Department, Lida M. Gochenour, Administrative Supervisor.