Many are familiar with Apollo 11, the mission that landed humans on the Moon for the first time. It was part of the larger Apollo program. There were several missions during the Apollo program from 1961 to 1972. Humans landed on the moon during six missions, Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17.
Apollo was the Roman god who inspired prophecy, poetry, music, and medicine. Incorporated directly from the Greeks after a plague devastated Rome, he was both the bringer of and guardian against pestilence.
The Apollo 11 Lunar Module Eagle, in a landing configuration, was photographed in lunar orbit from the Command and Service Module Columbia. July 20, 196917:44 UTC1:44 pm ET The lunar module with Armstrong and Aldrin aboard was undocked from the command module. At 101:36 GET, the descent to the surface of the Moon began.
The Apollo 10 mission, which lifted off on May 18th, 1969, was a complete staging of the Apollo 11 mission without actually landing on the Moon. The liftoff marked the fourth crewed Apollo launch in the short space of seven months.
The Apollo 11 Moon landing was one of the single greatest achievements in the history of humankind. On July 20, 1969 astronaut Neil Armstrong emerged from the Eagle, descended its ladder, and became the first person to step on the Moon. His spacesuit was a key part of that achievement.
Apollo 11 was one of 15 Apollo missions that took place in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Learn more about the missions that paved the way for the Moon landing, and the missions where Americans returned to the Moon after.
During a preflight test for what was to be the first crewed Apollo mission, a fire claimed the lives of three U.S. astronauts; Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee. After the disaster, the mission was officially designated Apollo 1.
When Apollo 13 launched on April 11, 1970, it was intended to be the third Apollo mission to land on the Moon. Unfortunately, an explosion in one of the oxygen tanks crippled the spacecraft during flight and the crew were forced to orbit the Moon and return to Earth without landing.
Relive the Show "Apollo 50: Go for the Moon," recreated the launch of Apollo 11 and told the story of the first Moon landing through full-motion projection mapping artwork on the Washington Monument. Over a half-million people joined us July 16 to 20, 2019, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 on the National Mall.
