Shuttle Endeavour launches 40 years after Apollo 11 went to the moon

After more than a month's delay, space shuttle Endeavour and seven astronauts thundered into orbit yesterday, on the eve of the 40th anniversary of the lift off of man's first moon landing.

Today, forty years on from that first moon landing, shuttle Endeavour are jetting to the international space station, hauling up a veranda for Japan's enormous lab and looking to set a crowd record.

Apollo 11 lift off

Endeavour blasted off from the same pad used to launch Apollo 11 on July 16, 1969 - a welcome sight for shuttle workers who had to overcome hydrogen gas leaks last month and, since the weekend, thunderstorms.

The skies finally cleared, allowing commander Mark Polansky and his crew to embark on their 16-day adventure. One more holdup and they would have tied a record for the most shuttle launch delays.

Interview with Buzz Aldrin

Neil Armstrong, commander of the lunar module descent vehicle, made history as he set foot on the Moon with the words: "This is one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind" - accidentally omitting the word "a".

Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins landed on the moon on July 20, 1969.

Today both the American space agency Nasa and the European Space Agency plan to send astronauts back to the Moon and ultimately onto Mars.

Apollo 11 moon landing