Editor's note

More than 600 million people watched on TV as US astronaut Neil Armstrong climbed out of the lunar lander to become the first person to walk on the Moon. Those pictures were picked up by radio telescopes here in Australia - at Honeysuckle Creek and then Parkes - meaning we were the first to see those historic images. As John Sarkissian writes, not even bad weather could disrupt the signal.

Half a century later and the Moon landing still fascinates people. The Conversation looks back on the Apollo missions, and to the future and a possible return to the Moon. And in a special episode of Trust Me, I’m an Expert, Molly Glassey talks to astrophysicists Jonti Horner and Belinda Nicholson and planetary scientist Katarina Miljkovic about what the next big space exploration feat might be. Mines on the moon? A retirement home on Mars? Listen to their predictions here, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Michael Lund

Commissioning Editor

US astronaut Neil Armstrong on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission. NASA

Not one but two Aussie dishes were used to get the TV signals back from the Apollo 11 moonwalk

John Sarkissian, CSIRO

When Neil Armstrong stepped on to the Moon 50 years ago this month, Australians saw the images first. Australia even defied bad weather to bring the historic images to the world.

Today, we’re asking two astrophysicists and a planetary scientist: what’s the likelihood we’ll be living on Mars or the Moon in future? Pixabay/WikiImages

What’s the next ‘giant leap’ for humankind in space? We asked 3 space experts

Sunanda Creagh, The Conversation; Molly Glassey, The Conversation

What's the next thing that will blow us away or bring us together the way the Moon landing did in 1969? Moon mining? Alien contact? Retirement on Mars? Three space experts share their predictions.

The size of the Moon can be deceptive when viewed from Earth. Flickr/Ovi Gherman

How big is the Moon? Let me compare …

Jonti Horner, University of Southern Queensland

Just 12 people have walked on the Moon and they'll know better than anyone just how big (or small) the place is. But we can make some comparisons with things on Earth to get a measure of the Moon.

To the Moon and beyond

To the moon and beyond podcast series – Trailer

Miriam Frankel, The Conversation; Martin Archer, Queen Mary University of London

A new podcast series from The Conversation exploring the last 50 years of space exploration and the 50 years to come.

To the moon and beyond 1: What we learned from landing on the moon and why we stopped going

Miriam Frankel, The Conversation; Martin Archer, Queen Mary University of London

The first episode of a brand new podcast series to mark the 50th anniversary of the moon landings looks back at what going to the moon taught us and why we stopped sending people there.

To the moon and beyond 2: how humanity reacted to the moon landing and why it led to conspiracy theories

Miriam Frankel, The Conversation; Martin Archer, Queen Mary University of London

In episode 2 of The Conversation's new podcast series, we look at how people reacted to the moon landing – and why some still believe it was a hoax.

To the moon and beyond 3: The new space race and what winning it looks like

Martin Archer, Queen Mary University of London; Miriam Frankel, The Conversation

Episode 3 of the To the moon and beyond podcast takes a look at who some of the key players are in the 21st century space race and what they are competing for.

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