On July 24, 1969, the Apollo 11 capsule returned to Earth and splashed down near Wake Island in the Pacific Ocean. The three astronauts were picked up by the USS Hornet aircraft carrier and began a three week journey that would keep them isolated from the rest of the world.
NASA medical personnel were unsure whether exposure to lunar material would cause any biological problems. They knew that diseases of plants and animals on Earth show symptoms or become virulent in less than 21 days. To head off any potential problems, the astronauts, moon samples and equipment were kept in isolation in the Mobile Quarantine Facility.
These procedures were kept in place through the Apollo 14 mission, when NASA decided exposure to the Moon constituted no threat or risk to the Earth. Find out what else occurred on this day in science history.
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