20-July 1969 – Apollo 11 Lunar Module ‘Eagle’ touches down on Lunar Surface on Canadian Built Landing Gear

On 20-July 1969, at 10:56 p.m. (EDT), U.S. astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, commander of Apollo 11, becomes the first person to set foot on the Moon. Fifteen minutes later, Buzz Aldrin climbs down the ladder of the lunar module to join his commander. Did you know that the landing gear of the Lunar Module was built by Héroux Aerospace of Longueuil, Quebec?

Founded in 1942, Héroux-Devtek had established itself as a specialist in designing and manufacturing landing gear systems for aerospace applications. Their experience in producing high-precision components made them a strong candidate for the complex task of crafting lunar module landing gear.

In 1965, Héroux-Devtek won the contract to build the lunar landing gear after submitting the best bid among 16 competing companies, most of which were American. Despite initial hesitation from Grumman (the prime contractor for the lunar module) due to Héroux being a non-American firm, their bid was selected for its technical merit and cost-effectiveness.

Canada has a rich and interesting Aerospace heritage!