The 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing had many of us who are old enough remembering where we were at 02:56:15 UTC on 21 July 1969 when Neil Armstrong stepped onto the Moon. In Eastern Australia it was lunch-time. I was in this room, the upstairs foyer of the student union building at Monash University, with many other students during a break between classes, watching on a grainy b & w TV. (The landing was at 20:17:40 UT on 20 July 1969.)

Photo: Wolfgang Sievers

God of the Universe, the fortieth anniversary of the Apollo 11 landings reminds us of the achievements of science and engineering and we wonder at how rapidly our world is changing. Yet you are the Unchanging One, unlimited by time and space, the creator of all. Guide those who explore the vastness of your universe. All our knowledge and skill comes from you; teach us to use it humbly and wisely for your glory, the preservation of the Earth and the good of all. Amen.