One Small Step

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One Small Step
Introduction to Lunar Exploration
Apollo 11
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In May 1961, President John F. Kennedy shocked
the world when he told the United States
Congress, I believe the nation should commit
itself to achieving the goal, before the decade
is out, of landing a man on the Moon and
returning him safely to Earth. With this speech
the space race with the Soviet Union and the
United States was unofficially declared. Which
country would be first to land on the Moon?
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Scientists knew landing on the moon would
not be easy. There was much to be done. First,
they had to find out if the moons surface would
be safe for a landing. To do this probes (a kind
of robot spacecraft) were sent to the moon.
It took three years before a probe
successfully landed on the moon. Pictures of
the moons surface showed that it seemed to be
firm and solid. Maybe, the moon might be safe
for a space- craft, but could a human survive
the trip?
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The second major task was to find a rocket
that would be capable of sending a man to
the moon and back. Many types were tested and
after great effort, the scientists chose the
363-foot-high, 3,000-ton, Saturn V for the trip
to the moon 246,000 miles away.
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Next, the actual space travelers,
astronauts, needed to be chosen. These were a
sort of human guinea pig who would be risking
their lives to travel away from the earth into
the darkness of space. The first
astronauts were the smartest and bravest pilots
the space program could find.
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After years of preparation, the Apollo
missions were ready to begin the long journey to
Earths moon.
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The Apollo program was divided into several
missions, each with a specific task to perform
to reach the final goal of a lunar landing.
Apollo 1 - On January 27, 1967, the U.S. space
program suffered the first loss of life when
three astronauts, Virgil Gus Grissom, Edward
White, and Roger Chaffee died during a preflight
training session. Fire swept through the
command module after an electrical spark ignited
in the pure oxygen environment. The three men
died within seconds.

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The next manned mission was Apollo 7 which
practiced operations of the command service
module and also tele- cast the first live TV from
a manned spacecraft. Walter Schirra, Donn
Eisele, and Walter Cunningham were the
astronauts on this mission. (October 11-12,
1968)
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Apollo 8 carried Frank Borman, James Lovell,
and William Anders to orbit the moon ten times in
twenty hours. These men were the first humans
to directly view the far side of the moon. Their
mission also included a dramatic Christmas eve
greeting to the people of the earth during a
live TV broadcast. (December 21-27, 1968)
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Apollo 9 was the first mission to test the
Command Module and the Lunar Module while
orbiting the Earth. Command pilot, David
Scott, was left alone to fly the Command Module
while James McDivitt and Russell Schweickart
tested the lunar lander nicknamed Spider.
Special studies were conducted on the
human reactions to space and weightlessness. (Mar
ch 3-13, 1969)
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Apollo 10 --- Dress Rehearsal While orbiting
the moon 31 times, Thomas Stafford and Eugene
Cernan searched for possible landing sites,
coming within 50,000 feet of the lunar surface.
Then they were able to reconnect with the
Command Module, flown by John Young. This was
also the first live color television broadcast
from space. (May 18-26, 1969)
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Apollo 11 --- On July 16, 1969, after years of
preparation, astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael
Collins, and Edwin Aldrin blast off for the moon.

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On July 19, 1969 lunar orbit was achieved.
The next day Armstrong and Aldrin climb into the
lunar landing craft called the Eagle and
descend to the surface while Collins stays behind
with the command module. While in the Eagle,
Armstrong and Aldrin put on special spacesuits
for protection while on the moon. The
Eagle lands safely. History is about to be
made. Armstrong opens the hatch and steps down.
He says, Thats one small step for a man, one
giant leap for mankind. After Aldrin
joined Armstrong, the two men explored the
surface for 21 hours, collecting rocks,
conducting experiments, and taking photographs.
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Armstrong and Aldrin also set an American
flag that had a special wire to hold it up since
there is no wind on the moon.
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Before leaving the moon, the astronauts had
to make the lunar lander as light as pos- sible.
They left behind boots, backpacks, cameras, and
various other litter. They also left behind
medals in honor of the U.S. and Soviet
astronauts who lost their lives in the space
program and a plaque that stated, Here men from
the planet Earth first set foot upon the
moon July 1969. We came in peace for all
mankind.
Here men from the planet Earth first set
foot upon the moon July 1969 We
came in peace for all mankind

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After rejoining Collins in the command
module, the three astronauts prepare to return to
Earth. Four days later, three parachutes set the
spacecraft down on the waves of the Pacific
Ocean. Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins have
returned safely. The date is July 24,
1969. The promise made by President John F.
Kennedy in May 1961 has been brought to
completion. Amonumental milestone is space
history had been established by the United
States, the race has been won.
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