Obama Hosts Apollo 11 Crew To Mark 40th Anniversary Of Moon Landing

July 20, 2009 8:29 a.m. EST

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - President Barack Obama marks the 40th anniversary of the Moon landing on Monday by hosting the crew of the Apollo 11 at the White House. Obama will meet with the former astronauts Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins at the Oval Office at 2:00 pm. They will be joined by NASA Administrator Charles Frank Bolden, a former astronaut and Marine who was confirmed as the first African-Amercian head of the agency only last week.

The meeting marks the exact day in 1969 when Armstrong stepped off the Lunar Excursion Module and became the first man to walk on the Moon.

Footage of his and Aldrin's moonwalk, frequently invoked by Obama during the presidential campaign and after assuming office to push his agenda during an economic crisis, have been restored and released by NASA to commemorate the anniversary.

Obama has long been a fan of the space race and America's victory on the Moon. In an April speech to the National Academy of Sciences, Obama touted the works of NASA's Apollo program.

"The Apollo program itself produced technologies that have improved kidney dialysis and water purification systems; sensors to test for hazardous gasses; energy-saving building materials; and fire-resistant fabrics used by firefighters and soldiers," Obama explained. "And, more broadly, the enormous investment of that era - in science and technology, in education and research funding - produced a great outpouring of curiosity and creativity, the benefits of which have been incalculable."

Now, meeting with Aldrin, Armstrong and Collins at the White House, the trio are expected to push the president into funding a clear and decisive mission to Mars. In an interview with lunar fans, Collins detailed his support for a trip to the Red Planet.

"I worry that at NASA's creeping pace, with the emphasis on returning to the moon, Mars may be receding into the distance," Collins admitted. "It was my favorite planet as a kid and still is. As celestial bodies go, the moon is not a particularly interesting place, but Mars is. It is the closest thing to a sister planet that we have found so far."