On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men to land and walk on the Moon. Through most of human history, such a feat represented the unattainable. Yet attain it we did. Therefore, it is appropriate on the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 to reflect on what it took to get us there, what values the landing manifested, and how it can guide us in our future endeavors.

First, we should reflect on the technical challenges to get to the Moon. Would they adopt a mission design with one giant spaceship traveling to the Moon, landing, and returning back to Earth? Or would they (as they did) use a three-stage rocket, a separate command module, and a lunar module for the actual landing?

Think of the applications of old knowledge and the discovery of new knowledge needed to create the incredible Apollo systems. Think of the millions of parts and components the engineers needed to make function together. Think of what it took to make the Saturn V rocket, tall as a 35-story building, with the explosive power of a tactical nuclear weapon, lift the spaceship smoothly into orbit.

Novelist-philosopher Ayn Rand highlighted a more fundamental requirement to achieve that mission: “Think of the unpitying effort; the merciless discipline; the courage; the responsibility of relying on one’s judgment; the days, nights and years of unswerving dedication to a goal; the tension of the unbroken maintenance of a full, clear mental focus; and the honesty.” The Moon landing took technology and technology took a moral commitment to reason and reality.

Second, we should reflect on the values the lunar landing manifested so dramatically. Foremost is human achievement -- that is, setting life-affirming goals and calling on the best within ourselves to reach them. Aristotle said, “All men, by nature, desire to know.” As a species we are explorers and seekers of knowledge. The Moon landing was a most audacious example of such quests. As President Kennedy said, “We choose to go to the Moon … and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” The pride of the thousands of individuals who played their part in this remarkable achievement was truly earned because the value of achievement is the path to pride.

Going to the Moon was also an affirmation of the values of freedom and liberty. The political goal of Apollo was to demonstrate to the world that an open, democratic society could achieve more than our closed, totalitarian Soviet rival. Yes, Apollo was a U.S. government program, but it heavily relied upon innovative private companies and, most important, a culture that encouraged and demanded inquiry and questioning about every phase and decision in the program.

The space race was very expensive, and since the Moon landings, NASA has not been able to commercialize space travel. However, entrepreneurs such as Jeff Bezos with Blue Origin, Elon Musk with SpaceX, Robert Bigelow with Bigelow Aerospace, and Richard Branson with Virgin Galactic are taking up that monumental task. The free market, which has helped create our computers and smartphones with many times the power of the arrays that put humans on the Moon, could, in the future, propel us to vacations on the Moon.

Third, we should reflect on how the lunar landing points the way to a fantastic future. Today, the term “Moonshot” usually means government throwing money at a seemingly impossible problem. But that’s not the lesson of the quest for the Moon. The half-century since Apollo 11 shows us that in the long run the path to a better tomorrow is found in each of us pursuing our own goals and dreams in a free society and market.

Those who created the communications and information revolution followed their visions and have redefined our economy and culture. No doubt, a whole new crop of entrepreneurs and tinkerers will emerge to make the next giant leaps for mankind in the spirit of Apollo.

For instance, medicine could very well be the next frontier for great achievement. Genetic engineering could cure cancer or several other ailments that plague us. And let’s not forget returning to the Moon and colonizing Mars. These goals will best be achieved with the assistance of Bezos, Musk, Bigelow, and others.

So reflect on Apollo 11’s great achievement 50 years later. Know that such achievements are possible. Shrug off the naysayers and strive to achieve the seemingly impossible, which is best symbolized by the landing on the Moon five decades ago.

Edward Hudgins (ehudgins@heartland.org) is research director at The Heartland Institute. He is a space policy expert and was a young intern at NASA during the Apollo 11 Moon landing.