The goal of the Apollo program was to land an American on the moon. The preparation for this feat has been called one of the most difficult technological efforts ever undertaken by humans. NASA partnered with industry to develop the powerful rocket engines necessary to propel the lunar launch vehicle. Once the designs for the Lunar Module and the Command Module were established, the astronauts spent over 300 hours training in the modules, to be ready for any unexpected occurrences in space. Training for the moon-bound astronauts also included studying celestial and lunar navigation, survival training in deserts and rain forests, visiting areas thought to be like the lunar surface, experiencing simulated lunar activity in a one-sixth gravity trainer and practicing water recovery routines.
A fourth group of astronauts (The Scientists) was chosen by NASA in June, 1965 for their research and academic backgrounds rather than their pilot training, which NASA provided. Of the six in this group, only Harrison Schmitt participated in an Apollo mission. Nineteen more astronauts were chosen in April, 1966 (Original Nineteen). Nine of these astronauts flew to the moon and the rest of the group participated in the Skylab and Space Shuttle programs. The nine who participated in Apollo missions were Charles Duke, Ronald Evans, Fred Haise, James Erwin, Ken Mattingly, Edgar Mitchell, Stuart Roosa, John Swigert and Alfred Worden.
Three unpiloted launches and twelve piloted Apollo launches comprised the Apollo program. There were tragedies and setbacks. In a training exercise for Apollo 1, a fire started by an electrical malfunction broke out in the cockpit and the three astronauts, Gus Grissom, Roger Chafee and Edward White, lost their lives. However, the United States did achieve the goal of landing the first humans on the Moon.
Apollo 8 launched on December 21, 1968 and returned on December 27. It was the first human orbital flight, allowing the astronauts to view the entire Earth from space and to view the back side of he Moon. It was the most important space achievement leading up to the lunar landing.
Apollo 11 launched on July 16, 1969 and returned to earth on July 24. On July 20 everything was "go" for the lunar landing. After a tension filled twelve and a half minutes, during which various alarms went off on the spacecraft and Neil Armstrong had to take manual control of the craft to move it to a smoother landing area, the Eagle spacecraft set down on the moon. Neil Armstrong took the first human steps on the moon, making his historic comment, "That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind." Buzz Aldrin joined him on the lunar surface and they worked together for almost 90 minutes and placed an American flag on the Moon.
Apollo 13 launched on April 11, 1970 and returned on April 17. More than halfway to the Moon an oxygen tank ruptured, damaging an entire panel and the systems within it. Astronauts James Lovell, Fred Haise and Jack Swigert were left without oxygen, power and water. The moon landing was abandoned. The astronauts temporarily abandoned the Control Module and took refuge in the Lunar Module, which was only designed to sustain two astronauts for 50 hours. The astronauts spent an unpleasant 95 hours in this lifeboat, enduring freezing temperatures and dehydration, while mission control figured out a way to get them safely back to Earth.
Apollo 17 launched on December 7, 1972 and returned on December 19. This last manned trip to the moon included geologist Jack Schmitt, the first scientist-astronaut, who was able to study the Moon's surface. Schmitt and Eugene Cernan spent the longest time on the Moon, including more than 22 hours outside the spacecraft.
James Lovell, commander of the Apollo 13 mission, never got his chance to walk on the moon. He was scheduled to go back on a later Apollo mission, but the mission was cancelled. Apollo 17 was the last manned mission to the Moon.
Astronauts brought back 842 pounds of moon rock and soil samples, a vast number of photographs and other data from the Moon, giving scientists the opportunity to learn valuable information about the Moon and the solar system.
A total of six missions landed on the Moon and twelve astronauts walked on the Moon.
James Lovell is a Trustee of the Adler Planetarium. The "Shoot for the Moon" exhibit at the Adler Planetarium is narrated by James Lovell and includes his personal stories and artifacts from his missions into space.
Web page created as class assignment November 2014, last updated December, 2014.
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