Mankind has always dreamed of journeying to other worlds in space. The Moon is the only place in the Solar System that we have reached with both unmanned space probes and astronauts. Discoveries from these mission have changed our knowledge of both the Earth and Moon.
In l959, the former Soviet Union sent a spacecraft past the Moon to take pictures of the far side of the Moon which had never been seen from Earth. Later in that year, Lunar 2, a Soviet probe landed on the Moon.
The attempts by the United States and the Soviet Union to land a manned spacecraft on the Moon resulted in a flurry of scientific activity as each country attempted to gain the necessary knowledge and develop the necessary technology to win that race.
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy set the target for America to reach the Moon by the end of the decade. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) created Project Gemini, a series of missions conducted close to Earth, to meet that challenge. The Apollo program followed setting the stage for landing astronauts on the Moon.
The Ranger, Orbiter, and Surveyor probes were the first US. spacecraft sent to the Moon. They were unmanned flights which helped to find possible landing sites for future manned flights
Apollo 8 was the first manned vehicle to orbit the Moon. Apollo 9 launched a command and service module and lunar module into Earth orbit These vehicles and equipment would be used during future lunar landings.
Apollo 10 was the final rehearsal before landing on the Moon. Astronauts separated the lunar module form the command and service module while they orbited the Moon. They flew to low altitude over the Sea of Tranquility and then re-docked successfully.
Apollo 11 lifted off the Kennedy Space Center on July 16, l969. Four days later, Apollo's lunar module touched down on the Sear of Tranquillity. Five more landings followed. The Apollo program cost $20 billion and employed a half a million people in some facet of the effort.
Man On The Moon
On July 16, Apollo 11 lifted off the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center carrying Astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin and Michael Collins. Four days later, Armstrong and Aldrin boarded the lunar module named the Eagle and flew to the landing site in the Sea of Tranquility. Michael Collins remained in the Command Service Module.
Aldrin reported the touchdown on to the lunar surface by announcing "Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed." The astronauts readied themselves for stepping on the Moon by putting on spacesuits and life support systems. And then Neil Armstrong passed through the hatchway and stepped down a ladder to the lunar surface. As Neil Armstrong placed his foot on the Moon's surface-- he spoke the words heard around the World, "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."
Armstrong and Aldrin spent four hours on the surface of the Moon planting a flag, setting up experiments, and placing a plaque to commemorate the occasion. They also collected 50 pounds of lunar soil and rock samples to bring back to Earth. The two astronauts then reboarded the Eagle and blasted off the Moon to successfully dock with Collins in the CSM. After an eight day mission they headed back to Earth and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean.
Five other missions landed on the Moon. In a later mission, astronauts used the lunar roving vehicle, a ten-foot-long cart that allowed them to explore more of the lunar surface. Apollo 17 was the last manned fight to the Moon.
The Apollo program was very expensive but provided many scientific gains. The entire Apollo program cost $20 billion. It allowed a dozen astronauts to explore over 60 miles of the lunar surface collecting 850 pounds of rock and soil. Over 30,000 photographs were taken. In addition, over a half million people were employed in some facet of the this effort.