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Space History - The Apollo Moon Missions
A short history of men on the moon
| Fast Facts About Apollo Moon Missions |
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All successful manned moon landings took place within a space of about 3 and a half years between July 1969 and December 1972.
A total of 12 astronauts have landed on the moon.
Apollo 11
The first manned moon landing occurred on 20 July 1969. The mission itself was launched on 16 July and concluded on 24 July.
The astronauts participating in the first successful landing were Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin.
Their mission, apart from actually completing the first EVA (extra-vehicular activity) on the moon, was to deploy scientific instruments and collect moon rock.
During the entire eight day mission, the astronauts had a choice of only two meals, Meal A and Meal B.
The Apollo 11 lunar module touched down at 4:18PM US Eastern Daylight Time at the Sea of Tranquility. |
 Apollo 9 Launch,
an important test mission in preparation
for the actual moon landing.
Image source: NASA |
Neil Armstrong, the first human to set foot on the moon, did so at 10.56PM the same day. Around 500 million people worldwide watched the event on television. Edwin Aldrin explored the moon with Armstrong for 2 and a half hours.
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Apollo 12
The second moon landing, Apollo 12, occurred on 19 November 1969, the same year as the first one, touching down at the Ocean of Storms. One of the objectives of the mission was to retrieve parts of Surveyor 3, an unmanned lander which had been on the moon since 1967. The parts were studied for the effects of the lunar environment on manmade materials.
Apollo 13
The next moon mission, Apollo 13, launched on 11 April 1970, was aborted when an electrical fault caused an oxygen tank to explode. This happened 330 000km from Earth. The crew was forced to return to Earth without landing on the moon. Because of the immense and near-fatal difficulties faced by the astronauts, the mission was dubbed a "successful failure".
A book called Lost Moon was written about Apollo 13 by Jim Lovell, one of the astronauts involved in the mission. The film Apollo 13, directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks, was based on the book.
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Apollo 14 & 15
The third successful mission, Apollo 14, landed in the Fra Mauro area on 5 February 1971, where Apollo 13 was supposed to land, and resulted in famous footage of Alan Shepard hitting a golf ball on the moon. Apollo 15 landed on 30 July 1971 in the Mare Imbrium area, and was the mission on which the LRV (Lunar Roving Vehicle, aka the "moon buggy") was first used.
Apollo 16 & 17
Apollo 16 landed on 20 April in the Descartes Highlands area on 20 April 1972, and Apollo 17 followed on 11 December. Apollo 17 was the longest and last mission to the moon and also the most recent manned mission to travel out of Low Earth Orbit (that is, farther than 2000 km above the Earth's surface).
Space History Menu |
| Quotable Quotes - Apollo Moon Missions |
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“Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.” Buddhist proverb
"The Eagle has landed" Neil Armstrong, reporting that the Apollo 11 lunar module had successfully touched down on the moon
"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Neil Armstrong
"This certainly has to be the most historic telephone call ever made from the White House." President Richard Nixon during his phone call to the astronauts on Apollo 11.
"Here men from the planet Earth first set foot on the Moon. July 1969AD. We come in peace for all mankind." Plaque placed on the moon by Apollo 11 astronauts.
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The crew of Apollo 13 (Fred Haise, John Swigert, and James Lovell) after their ill-fated mission
Image source: NASA |
"Houston we've had a problem." Jim Lovell aboard the Apollo 13 spacecraft.
"Houston, we have a problem."Jim Lovell's quote as it was modified for the film Apollo 13 for better dramatic effect.
“Shoot for the moon and if you miss you will still be among the stars.” Les Brown |
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