CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP)

— This weekend marks the 55th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 lunar landing, coinciding with a full moon that adds to the celebratory atmosphere. Events honoring astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin are taking place across the country, including a gala at the San Diego Air and Space Museum, where Aldrin, now 94 and the last surviving Apollo 11 crew member, will be the guest of honor. At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, a moon fest is set to attract visitors to the site from which the Saturn V rocket launched Armstrong, Aldrin, and Michael Collins on July 16, 1969. Armstrong famously declared, “The Eagle has landed,” followed by his iconic words as he became the first human to set foot on the lunar surface: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Aldrin joined him shortly after, describing the moon as “magnificent desolation.” In addition to the celebrations, Armstrong's restored spacesuit is on display at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, alongside the Apollo 11 return capsule. The USS Hornet, which recovered the astronauts after their mission, will host a splashdown party in Alameda, California, featuring members of the original recovery crew. Looking ahead, NASA plans to send four astronauts around the moon next year as part of its Artemis program, named after Apollo’s twin sister in Greek mythology. The Space Launch System rocket for this mission is expected to arrive at Kennedy Space Center next week.