A tribute to the Lunar Excursion Model (LEM), that which allowed Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong to take their first, historic steps on the moon. Full slideshow at LIFE.com.

The Apollo 9 Lunar Module (a 30,000 lb. vessel nicknamed "Spider" by crew members Scott, McDivitt and Schweichkart), 100 miles above the Atlantic Ocean, March 1969.

Griffin Lunar Test Model CompleteWith this major milestone complete, the Structural Test Model for the largest lunar lander since the Apollo Lunar Module is now headed for environmental testing ...

A rare gold lunar module model presented to Neil Armstrong was stolen from the Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta, Ohio on Friday, July 28, 2017.(Image credit: Wapakoneta Police ...

Photo by NASA Snoopy may have been spotted in space. No, not the Peanuts character — a lunar module that has been hiding in the depths of the milky way since 1969.

After a meticulous search through terabytes of optical data, a team led by astronomer Nick Howes says it's '98 percent convinced' they've pinpointed the lost lunar module from Apollo 10.

The smaller model is 1/20,000,000th the moon's original size and measures 6.8 inches (17 centimeters) across, and the larger model is 1/11,500,000th the moon's original size and measures 11.8 ...

The two docked spacecraft went into orbit around the Moon and the Lunar Module descended for a stay of a few hours or a few days at most. For Artemis, the lander will be much larger and will stay ...

Behind the Command Module came the Service Module, which contained fuel tanks and engines. The Lunar Module (LM or "Lem") was carried in a compartment behind the command and service modules.