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Apollo Moon Missions
The Apollo Moon Missions were a series of NASA missions that put 12 men on the moon through six space flights during 1961-1975. This category is for questions and answers about those missions.
3,276 Questions
Why was there no Apollo two or three?
There was.
Apollo 1a also known as AS201 - was the first test launch of the Saturn 1B rocket
Apollo 2 also known as AS203 - was the first test of the fuel tanks
Apoolo3 also known as AS204 - was the first test of the command module reentry
When Apollo took off from the moon wouldn't it have blown the flag away?
According to Apollo 12's Lunar Pilot Capt. Alan Bean's interview with Andrew Chaiken in the book A Man on the Moon, the flag that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin placed on the moon in 1969 did, in fact, blow over when the lunar module Eagle left the surface of the moon. I have not read any other confirmations of this statement.
Why did Apollo 13 go to the moon?
Apollo 13 crew did NOT go to the moon. The third lunar landing attempt was aborted after the rupture of service module oxygen tank. Classified as "successful failure" because the crew was not lost . Spent upper stage successfully impacted on the Moon thus part of Apollo 13 did land on the moon.
Apollo 13 was supposed to land in the Fra Mauro area. An explosion on board forced Apollo 13 to circle the moon without landing. The Fra Mauro site was reassigned to Apollo 14.
The crew of Apollo 13 was James A. Lovell, Jr. , John L. Swigert, Jr. and Fred W. Haise, Jr. Ken Mattingly was on the original crew as the Command Module Pilot but was replaced by Swigert once it was learned that he had been accidently exposed to the infectious disease measles, which he had no immunity to as the other two crew members did.
Apollo 13 story in brief: After a conference with contractor and NASA personnel, the test director decided to "boil off" the remaining oxygen in No. 2, which had been previously installed in the service module of Apollo 10, by using the electrical heater within the tank. The technique worked. Due to an oversight in replacing an underrated component during a design modification, this turned out to severely damage the internal heating elements of the tank. Nine minutes after saying "good-night" in an untelevised "open house" from the spacecreaft oxygen tank No. 2 blew up, causing No. 1 tank also to fail. The Apollo 13 command modules normal supply of electricity, light, and water was lost, and they were about 200,000 miles from Earth. Warning lights indicated that one oxygen tank appeared to be completely empty, and that the oxygen in the second tank was rapidly being depleted. It was after the blackout period that Swigert reported, "Houston, we've had a problem here." Thirteen minutes after the explosion, Lovell looked out the window of the spacecreft on the left-hand side and noticed the very important vapor escaping into the atmosphere. "We are venting something out into the- into space," he reported to Houston. Lovell said, "It's a gas of some sort." It was oxygen gas escaping at a high rate from the second, and last, oxygen tank. At 1 hour and 29 seconds after the bang, Jack Lousma, then CapCom, said after instructions from Flight Director Glynn Lunney: "It is slowly going to zero, and we are starting to think about the LM lifeboat." Swigert replied, "That's what we have been thinking about too." So the crew, with great mathematical skills brought up the computers and life support of the LM. With only 15 minutes of power left in the CM, CapCom told the crew to make their way into the LM. Fred and Jim Lovell quickly floated through the tunnel, leaving Jack to perform the last chores in the CM. The first concern was to determine if there were enough consumables to get home. Oxygen wasn't the main problem, power was. As Gene Kranz told his sleep-deprived staff, "Failure is NOT an option". Ground controllers, specifically John Aaron, carefully worked out a procedure where the CM batteries were charged with LM power. All non-critical systems were turned off and energy consumption was reduced to a fifth of normal, which resulted in having 20 percent of our LM electrical power left when Aquarius was jettisoned. Removal of Carbon Dioxide was also a concern. There were enough lithium hydroxide canisters, which remove carbon dioxide from the spacecraft, but the square canisters from the CM were not compatible with the round openings in the LM environmental system. After a day and a half in the LM a warning light showed that the carbon dioxide had built up to a dangerous level. Mission Control devised a way to attach the CM canisters to the LM system by using plastic bags, cardboard, and tape- all materials carried on board. One of the big questions was, "How to get back safely to Earth?" The LM navigation system wasn't designed to help us in this situation. A most remarkable achievement of Mission Control was quickly developing procedures for powering up the CM after its long cold sleep. Flight controllers wrote the documents for this innovation in three days, instead of the usual three months. Four hours before slashdown, the crew shed the service module which had been kept in hopes of protecting the heat shields. The crew left the Lunar Module Aquarius and then splashed down gently in the Pacific Ocean near Samoa. After an intensive investigation, the Apollo 13 Accident Review Board identified the cause of the explosion. In 1965 the CM had undergone many improvements, which included raising the permissible voltage to the heaters in the oxygen tanks from 28 to 65 volts DC. Unfortunately, the thermostatic switches on these heaters weren't modified to suit the change. During one final test on the launch pad, the heaters were on for a long period of time. "This subjected the wiring in the vicinity of the heaters to very high temperatures (1000 F), which have been subsequently shown to severely degrade teflon insulation. The thermostatic switches started to open while powered by 65 volts DC and were probably welded shut." Furthermore, other warning signs during testing went unheeded and the tank, damaged from 8 hours overheating, was a potential bomb the next time it was filled with oxygen. That bomb exploded on April 13, 1970 -- 200,000 miles from Earth.
-adapted from NASA website and James A. Lovell, Apollo Expeditions to the Moon
Did Apollo 11 take 3 days to get to the moon?
Apollo 11 was in orbit around the Moon after 3 days, the landing was closer to 4 days.
Apollo 11 took off on Wednesday, July 16 at 9:32 AM EDT. Lunar orbit was achieved 3 days and 4 hours later, and Armstrong landed the lunar module on the moon on Sunday, July 20, 1969 at 4:17 PM EDT.
The transit time surface-to- surface was 3 days 17 hours 15 minutes. (89.25 hours; 3.719 days)
What activities did the astronauts of the apollo-soyuz not do?
The astronauts of Apollo-Soyuz did not walk on the Moon, as the mission was a joint US-Soviet spaceflight that involved docking two spacecraft in Earth orbit in 1975. They also did not conduct spacewalks outside their respective spacecraft, as the mission focused on demonstrating international cooperation in space.
Which Apollo flight 1st landed on the moon which?
Apollo 11 was the first mission to successfully land astronauts on the Moon on July 20, 1969. The astronauts were Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, with Armstrong being the first person to set foot on the lunar surface.
How much moon was brought back to earth?
PARTIAL ANSWER:
Over 800 pounds of moon rock have been returned to earth but I'm not sure of soil samples which would add considerably to that number.
Deadly poison used in the Apollo?
The deadly poison used in the Apollo spacecraft was potassium cyanide. It was carried by astronauts as a precautionary measure in case they needed to end their lives quickly and painlessly in the event of an emergency or being stranded in space.
Who was the 3rd person to land on the moon?
Charles "Pete" Conrad was the third person to walk on the surface of the moon. The Commander of Apollo 12, an all Navy crew, Capt. Conrad was able to land the LM with near perfect accuracy. Born June 2, 1930, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Pete Conrad died July 8, 1999, from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident in Ojai, California. His wife, Nancy helped pen the book Rocketman, an exciting and humorous biography of Pete Conrad.
SHORT BIO:
Following graduation from Princeton University in 1953, Mr. Conrad entered the Navy and became a naval aviator. He then attended the Navy Test Pilot School at Patuxent River, Maryland, where he was assigned as a Project Test Pilot. Mr. Conrad also served as a flight instructor and performance engineer at the Test Pilot School. After completing his tour of duty at Patuxent River, he served as instructor pilot in F4H Phantoms on VF-121 and was then assigned duty in VF-96 on board USS Ranger.
In September of 1962, Mr. Conrad was selected as an astronaut by NASA. His first flight was Gemini V, which established the space endurance record and placed the United States in the lead for man-hours in space. As commander of Gemini XI, Mr. Conrad helped to set a world's altitude record. He then served as commander of Apollo 11, the second lunar landing. On Mr. Conrad's final mission, he served as commander of Skylab II, the first United States Space Station. -from NASA bio
Pete Conrad retired from the Navy after 20 years of service in December of 1973, 11 of which had been in the space program to work in the public sector. He was a great proponent of future space travel and exploration and continued his love of air craft and flying. He was a man of great humor, after his death his memorial Christmas tree at the Cape was lit in colored lights instead of the traditional white that the other deceased astronauts have there. Pete had the philosophy that you should live life colorfully and he did just that daily!
How fast did the Apollo spacecraft go?
The Apollo spacecraft traveled at speeds of about 25,000 miles per hour (40,000 km/h) to reach the Moon and during its return journey to Earth.
What made the Apollo 11 command module float?
Splashdown occurs when the parachutes are deployed from the Command Module slowing the craft down for a safe landing in a body of water. Once the landing has taken place the craft is surrounded by inflated buoys. The astronauts are quickly picked up by the Navy before returning to shore. The only American spacecraft lost at sea was Libertybell 7 but astronaut Gus Grissom was saved. He was later cleared of any pilot error in the loss of Libertybell 7.
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You might find it interesting that the Libertybell 7 was was found by Curt Newport and recovered in the summer of 1999. See the link below;
When was the last person to walk on the moon?
The last men on the moon was Eugene Cernan and Jack Schmitt.
When was the last mission to the moon by the USA?
The last manned mission to the moon by the USA was Apollo 17 in December 1972. No humans have been back to the moon since.
How did they name the Apollo space missions?
PARTIAL ANSWER:
NASA Hq. Office of Manned Space Flight informed KSC, MSFC, and MSC of approved designations for Apollo and Apollo Applications missions:
- all Apollo missions would be numbered sequentially in the order flown, with the next mission to be designated Apollo 4, the following one Apollo 5, etc., and
- the Apollo Applications missions would be designated sequentially as AAP-1, AAP-2, etc. The number designations would not differentiate between manned and unmanned or uprated Saturn I and Saturn V missions.
In a letter to George E. Mueller, OMSF, on March 30, MSC Deputy Director George M. Low offered two suggestions, in keeping with the intent of the NASA instruction yet keeping the designation Apollo 1 for spacecraft 012. NASA Hq. had approved that designation before the January 27 fire claimed the lives of Astronauts Virgil I. Grissom, Edward H. White II, and Roger B. Chaffee; and their widows requested that the designation be retained. The suggestions were:
- Consider the AS-201, 202, and 203 missions part of the Saturn I (as opposed to uprated Saturn I) series; reserve the designation Apollo 1 for spacecraft 012; and number the following flights Apollo 2, etc., or
- Designate the next flight Apollo 4, as indicated by Headquarters, but apply the scheme somewhat differently for missions already flown. Specifically, put the Apollo 1 designation on spacecraft 012 and then, for historic purposes, designate 201 as mission 1-a, 202 as mission 2 and 203 as mission 3.
A memorandum to the NASA space flight Centers, North American Aviation, and certain Headquarters personnel from the NASA Assistant Administrator for Public Affairs on April 3 stated that the Project Designation Committee had approved the Office of Manned Space Flight's recommendations and that Mueller had begun implementation of the designations.
On April 24, OMSF further instructed the Centers that AS-204 would be officially recorded as Apollo 1, "first manned Apollo Saturn flight - failed on ground test." AS-201, AS-202, and AS-203 would not be renumbered in the "Apollo" series, and the next mission would be Apollo 4. -from astronautix.com
Starting with Apollo 9 the crew was allowed to choose the call sign of the Lunar Module and the Command Module. The NASA Project Designation Committee determined the letter designation given to each flight. There were 7 flight designations from type "A" through "J" depending on the type of flight, i.e. Manned Lunar Landing was given the designation of "G".
What happend with the Apollo mission in 1958?
The Apollo Program did not begin until December, 1968.
Your 1958 reference might be when NASA was established by the National Aeronautics and Space Act on July 29, 1958, replacing its predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA).
Hope this helps!
If a astronaut landed on the moon how long would the footprints stay there and why?
There were recent amazing pictures released to the press of the surface of the moon which showed many of the objects left on the moon including footprints! So you know the footprints last over 40 years because it has been that long since Neil Armstrong made history with the first footprints on the moon. There is no atmosphere on the moon therefore no rain, wind or water flow so the only thing that will destroy the footprints is space debri of either man made materials or rocks such as a meteor storm. Scientist from different nationsintentionally crash objects into the moon for various studies.
In the Apollo space mission which ones landed on the moon?
Apollo 11 on July 20, 1969
Apollo 12 on November 14, 1969
Apollo 14 on January 31, 1971
Apollo 15 on July 26, 1971
Apollo 16 on April 16, 1972
Apollo 17 on December 7, 1972
Apollo 18, 19 and 20 were cancelled even though space craft material had already been made, needing only to be assembled. Apollo 13 was classified as a "success failure" as the crew was returned to earth safely after astronauts and mission control used ingenious methods and quick thinking to reconfigure many aspects of the mission.
Did Apollo 9 land on the moon?
No. The Apollo 9 orbited the satellite. the first manned landing on the Moon took place on July 20, l969 ( oddly 720 degrees two full circles or turns) of l969. This was commanded by Neil Armstrong and assisted by Buzz Aldrin, both of whom walked on the lunar surface.
What were the names of the crew members on Apollo 7?
Apollo 7 was the first three person American space mission launching on October 11th, 1968. The crew consisted of Mission Commander Walter "Wally" Shirra, Command Module Pilot Donn Eisele, and Lunar Module Pilot Walter Cunningham. They successfully splashed down on the 22nd of October.
Which country launched the first two stage rocket?
The United States launched the first two-stage rocket in 1949, named the Bumper WAC. It was a combination of a V-2 missile and a WAC Corporal rocket.
What year did Apollo orbit the moon?
There were two Apollo missions that orbited the moon without landing.
Apollo 8, carrying the first humans to ever be inside the gravitational influence of anything besides the earth, entered lunar orbit December 24, 1968.
Apollo 10, as a dress rehearsal of the first landing, had the LM orbit all the way down to within 9 miles of the moon's surface, but did not actually land. The crew entered orbit May 22, 1969.
First country to put a man on the moon?
This was the United States were the first to send a man to the moon and actually land there. Also the first flag on the moon. The man who went there was Neil Armstrong. He arrived on July 20, 1969.
It should also be noted that as far as is publicly known, the USA is not only the first,
but is so far the only country to have put men on the moon, and everyone who has
stood on the moon so far has been an American citizen.,
How many persons have walked on moon?
As of 2006, only the following twelve people have walked on the Moon, each on one mission only. Nobody has walked on the Moon since 1972, and no additional individuals are expected to join this list for at least another decade.
Neil Armstrong - Apollo 11 - July, 1969
Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin - Apollo 11 - July, 1969
Charles "Pete" Conrad - Apollo 12 - November, 1969 (may have been scheduled to land again on Apollo 20, though unlikely as he had already walked on the Moon)
Alan Bean - Apollo 12 - November, 1969
Alan Shepard - Apollo 14 - February, 1971
Edgar Mitchell - Apollo 14 - February, 1971
David Scott - Apollo 15 - July, 1971
James Irwin - Apollo 15 - July, 1971
John Young - Apollo 16 - April, 1972 (also on Apollo 10, without landing)
Charles Duke - Apollo 16 - April, 1972
Eugene Cernan - Apollo 17 - December, 1972 (also on Apollo 10, without landing)
Harrison Schmitt - Apollo 17 - December, 1972
What is the purpose of the space rocket Saturn V?
The Saturn V rocket was built by NASA to launch astronauts and payloads into space, specifically for the Apollo missions that aimed to land humans on the moon. It was one of the most powerful rockets ever built, capable of carrying large payloads and crew to the moon and back.
