The Apollo 11 mission is officially over, and today’s edition of the Chicago Tribune is stuffed with news of the splashdown, the impact of the mission, and words from the astronauts themselves. As the space agency and the country celebrates the success of the mission, they also can’t help but look ahead.

For the last week and a half we have shared coverage of Apollo 11 from the Chicago Tribune to celebrate the 52nd anniversary of the mission. Tribune reporters provided some of the best coverage by any newspaper in the country that would no doubt be difficult to match today.

The Story Ends Here, on the Front Page

The Chicago Tribune decided to go with the headline, A Day of Triumph! to end its coverage of the Apollo 11 mission. Photographs of the crew dominated the copy, which was a nice change from the illustrations and diagrams the paper preferred for the majority of the mission.

Mission End Details

Photographs continued to dominate the pages of the Tribune, including everything from the recovery process to the astronauts in quarantine. Details of the recovery process and what happens next were described for readers.

Astronaut Wives and Families Celebrate

News and photos of the astronaut wives and families are among some of the more popular stories in both the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Daily News. All three families were eager to share their joy and relief that the crew returned safely.

NASA Celebrates

Stories from Mission Control relay the dedication and commitment to the mission that everyone at NASA has.

A City and Nation Ready to Celebrate

Now that the mission is over, Chicago readies to receive the astronauts and others. A ticker tape parade was planned for August of that year and it ended up being a huge affair.

Looking Ahead

Already the agency is looking ahead to the next mission, the next steps for the agency, and future space travel. This piece in the Chicago Tribune details the spinoff benefits that the space program provides- something the agency has long promoted.