Astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin's tweet soon went viral on social media. (File)
On July 20, 1969, the world watched with bated breath as man set foot on the Moon. And one would think that the men who created such history would have received a thumping welcome back on Earth. This they did, but only after having cleared a customs form once they landed home. And Internet users heard this straight from the horse's mouth when astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin shared an image of the customs form that he and the crew had to fill when they landed. Buzz Aldrin was the second man to walk on the Moon and was accompanied by Neil Armstrong -- the first man to walk on the Moon -- on the Apollo 11 lunar module, Eagle.
Sharing this important bit of trivia with Internet users, Mr Aldrin wrote along with the photo, “Imagine spending eight days in space, including nearly 22 hours on the Moon and returning home to Earth only to have to go through customs. Apollo11.”
The photo shows a form titled “general declaration” and is dated July 24, 1969. The owner or operator is listed as National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA) and the document contains details about Mr Armstrong, Mr Aldrin as well as Michael Collins who was aboard the Apollo 11 spaceship, along with their signatures. Under the category of cargo, the form lists “moon rock and moon dust samples” that the team carried with them back to Earth.
Mr Aldrin's tweet soon went viral on social media with users expressing awe and happiness at being given a chance to have a glimpse of the interesting document.
Responding to the tweet, one user noted that a question titled, “Any other conditions on board that may lead to the spread of disease?” was answered as, “To be determined.” About this, the user commented cheekily, “The moon men might have given the crew a moon cold along with moon cheese.”
To this, another follower replied that the trio had, in fact, been quarantined upon return and shared an image of the same. “Fun fact: There was an actual concern that they may have brought viruses with them….” it read.
This person used the opportunity to share how a member of her family had also been a part of the team that worked on the historic journey to the Moon.
One follower wondered if the trio would be sent back to Moon if they refused to fill the form.
Maybe it was all a ruse to get their autographs, said another. After all, these were makers of history.
“Best destination list,” another user pointed out.
According to a report by Space.com, the form was posted to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website in 2009. It was released to mark the Apollo 11 mission's 40th anniversary. Verifying the authenticity of the document to the website, NASA spokesperson John Yembrick said, “Yes, it's authentic. It was a little joke at the time.”
Tell us what you think of Mr Aldrin's post in the comments below.
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