The Apollo space program gave us our first glimpses of lunar (Moon*) detail, as well as bringing the first people to step out onto an extra-terrestrial land mass.

*One item of interest that many people do not realize is that many planets have moons. Each of those moons have names. And the name for our moon is not "the Moon," but "Luna." But, for tradition, we will call Luna "the Moon."

Mission Highlights:

Apollo 1 never lifted off, as it was destroyed in a fire during a pre-flight test.

Apollo 7 was launched at 11:02 A.M. (EST) on October 11, 1968. It featured the first live television shots from a manned spacecraft. This flight lasted ten days and twenty hours.

Apollo 8 was launched at 7:50 A.M. (EST) on December 21,1968. This mission's purpose was to establish the capabilities and to get used to working with the Apollo system. This was towards the goal of setting down the first men on the Moon. The craft orbited the Moon twice in a highly elliptical orbit, and then orbited the Moon eight times in a near circular orbit. Then, splashdown occurred back on Earth on December 27, after 147 hours in space.

Apollo 9 was launched at 11 A.M. (EST) on March 3, 1969. This mission's purpose was to test the Apollo hardware while in Earth orbit. It tested all of the ejection procedures, docking procedures, and many others. It splashed down after 241 hours.

Apollo 10 was launched at 12:49 P.M. (EST) on May 18, 1969. This mission succeeded in bringing a manned lunar module to within 47,000 miles of the surface of the Moon, five days after the Apollo 10 was launched. At this altitude, the astronauts made two passes over the future landing site for the Apollo 11 lunar module. Splashdown occurred about eight days and ten minutes after launch.

Apollo 11 brought the first men (Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin, and Michael Collins) to the Moon on June 20, 1969. The craft was launched at 8:31:01 (EST) on June 16, 1969. Armstrong's first footstep on the Moon was placed at 109:24:19 ground elapsed time (June 20, 1969, at 9:55:20 (EST)). They left a plaque on the Moon, which is signed by all three astronauts and by President Nixon, and the plaque says:

HERE MEN FROM THE PLANET EARTH
FIRST SET FOOT UPON THE MOON
JULY 1969 A.D.
WE CAME IN PEACE FOR ALL MANKIND

Apollo 12 was launched at 11:22 A.M. (EST) on November 14, 1969. This flight's purpose was to conduct detailed scientific lunar surface exploration. This crew placed the U.S. flag on the Moon. Splashdown occurred 244 and a half hours after lift off.

Apollo 13 was launched at 2:13 P.M. (EST) on April 11, 1970. It was intended as another moon landing, a short circuit caused when fans were turned on in oxygen tank 2, caused the command module to power down. The astronauts lost the ability to generate power, oxygen, and water. Luckily the crew was able to return to Earth after about 143 hours in space.

Apollo 14 was launched at 4:03 A.M. (EST) on January 31, 1971. Its mission was to conduct extensive and detailed lunar surface exploration. Splashdown occurred at 3:24 P.M. (EST) on February 9, 1971.

Apollo 15 was launched at 9:34 A.M. (EST) on July 26, 1971. Its primary mission included the following: observe the lunar surface, survey and sample material and surface features in a pre-selected area of the Hadley-Apennine region, setup and activate surface experiments, and conduct in-flight experiments and photographic tasks from lunar orbit. Splashdown occurred at 3:45 P.M. (EST) on August 7, 1971.

Apollo 16 was launched at 12:55 P.M. (EST) on April 16, 1972. Its primary mission was to explore the Descartes highlands area because most of the lunar surface is similar to the Descartes highlands, and such an are had not previously been explored. Splashdown occurred after about 266 hours in space.

Apollo 17 was launched at 12:33 A.M. (EST) on December 7, 1972. This was the last of the Apollo missions. It was the last of the type J missions, which were characterized by extended hardware capability, a scientific payload larger than the previous G- and H-series missions, and by use of a battery powered lunar rover vehicle (LRV). As a result of these additions, the Apollo 17 mission had a duration of over twelve and a half days, and a time spent on the lunar surface of 75 hours, which allowed astronauts to travel approximately twenty-one and a half miles (thirty-five km). Splashdown occurred after about 302 hours.

Apollo 15, 16, and 17 provided important data on geological features, that allowed the formation of theories as to the formation of the Moon's core, mantle, and crust.

The twelve men who walked on the Moon between 1969 and 1972 brought back over one-third of a ton of Moon rocks.

Stages of the Mission:

All were launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida by the Saturn V rocket.

  1. A thrust of 7.6 million pounds took 2.5 minutes to take the rocket to a 40 mile (65 km) altitude, at a speed of 6,000 mph (9,600 kph).
  2. After the first stage detached, falling into the Atlantic Ocean, the second stage took the craft to 115 miles (185 km) above sea level, with a thrust of one million pounds, at speeds over 15,000 mph (25,000 kph).
  3. After the second stage detached, the third stage brought the craft into a stable Earth orbit.
  4. The astronauts performed systems checks.
  5. The third stage brought them to the Moon.
  6. The Apollo command/service module separated from the Saturn third stage, turned around, then re-connected, docking with the lunar module.
  7. The spacecraft was ejected from the Saturn third stage.
  8. The Apollo command/service module and the lunar module traveled to the Moon.
  9. Three days later, the craft entered a stable orbit.
  10. Two of the three astronauts went into the lunar module, while one stayed in the command/service module.
  11. The lunar module detached from the command/service module and descended to the Moon, retro rockets firing in order to slow descent.
  12. On board astronauts took control of computer-automated tasks in order to better specify the landing site.
  13. The astronauts, after landing, got the craft ready for ascent, and then climbed out to take photographs, conduct experiments, and carry our any other mission specifications.
  14. After the astronauts' liftoff (in the ascent stage of the lunar module, the rest remained), they took the lunar module into an orbit, where they docked with the command module.
  15. The astronauts took their data and specimens into the command module, and the ascent stage of the lunar module was jettisoned.
  16. The service module sent the craft back to Earth, and before re-entry, the service module was jettisoned.
  17. Blunt end first (the command module was shaped like a round pyramid), the command module reached an outside hull temperature of 5,000 degrees (2,800 degrees C), while heat shields kept the inside at livable temperatures.
  18. Three main parachutes were then sent up from the craft to slow its descent to a leisurely 22 mph (35 kph).
  19. Splashdown occurred in the ocean, and recovery forces on boats and aircraft were awaiting the return of the astronauts and command module.
    20.

Other Missions to the Moon:

Moon Missions
Date Name Country Hilights
September 14, 1959 Luna 2 USSR First craft to hit the Moon
October 4, 1959 Luna 3 USSR Sent back photographs of the Moon's far side
July 28, 1964 Ranger 7 USA Sent back over 4,000 pictures of the Moon before it crashed
February 3, 1966 Luna 9 USSR First craft to land on the Moon; sent back pictures for three days
March 31, 1966 Luna 10 USSR First craft to orbit the Moon
August '66 - Aug. '67 Five Crafts USA Orbited the Moon; photographed the entire surface to determine where the Apollos should land
May '66 - January '68 Surveyor(s) USA Five landed and took pictures and soil samples
July 22,1967 Explorer 35 USA Measured Earth's magnetic fields
September 12, 1970 Luna 16 USSR Landed on Sept. 20; took several ounces of lunar soil; returned to Earth on September 24
November 10, 1970 Luna 17 USSR Landed November 17; carried the Lunokhod 1, which was a self-propelled Moon rover
May+ 1998 Lunar Prospector USA This is the first spacecraft to visit the Moon in over thirty years, and it is designed to answer questions such as "Is there water (ice) in the Moon's polar ice caps?"