Apollo 11 Saturn V rocket launch, 16th July 1969. This high-speed footage shows the retraction of a launch tower swing arm followed by ignition of the Saturn V launch vehicle's five rocket engines. The swing arms provided services and access to each stage of the rocket. Ice debris from the outside of the super-cooled fuel tanks rains down as the vehicle launches. The launch pad is left burning. The Apollo 11 mission was launched from pad 39a at Kennedy Space Centre, Florida, USA and was the first manned mission to land on the Moon. Crew members were Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin Buzz Aldrin. They returned to Earth and landed in the Pacific Ocean on July 24th.