Our Legacy

“Here Men From the Planet Earth First Set Foot Upon the Moon, July 1969 A.D. We Came in Peace For All Mankind” — Apollo 11 Plaque

On the 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong’s “giant leap,” we celebrate the work dedicated to achieving the impossible.

NASA required craft capable of conquering Earth’s orbit for liftoff. Northrop Grumman heritage companies created Pioneer, the first commercially built spacecraft. Once in orbit around our nearest neighbor, astronauts needed a ride to the surface. The Grumman Corporation designed, assembled, integrated and tested the Lunar Module (LM). Heritage companies TRW and Westinghouse developed the lunar excursion model descent engine (LEMDE) and the lightweight, low-power camera used to capture humanity’s first steps on the moon, respectively.

Your Future

“Across the sea of space, the stars are other suns.” — Carl Sagan

Apollo 11 marked a new era in exploration. Today, Northrop Grumman is developing the future of space exploration technologies. The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has already discovered new exoplanets and supernovae, while the recently launched James Webb Space Telescope will study every phase in the history of our universe — from the Big Bang to the formation of life-supporting solar systems.

From the Sea of Tranquility to the origins of the universe, we’re pushing the boundaries of space exploration. Discover your future with Northrop Grumman.