The mission Apollo 11 made possible the descent on the Moon on July 20, 1969 and marked a great scientific and political achievement for the United States.
The crew consisted of Neil Armstrong and Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrian, the first men to set foot on the moon, and Michael Collins who remained in the command module.
Trip to the Moon Mission
The Apollo Program consisted of a series of experiments and orbital journeys with the purpose of taking man to step on the lunar soil. It is estimated that around 150,000 scientists, including engineers, designers and mathematicians, worked on the project.
The spacecraft was the culmination of a chain of experiments carried out for ten years by the American Space Agency (NASA, its acronym in English) since the beginning of the 60s.
American Space Age performance began with Project Mercury (1958-1963). It would later be replaced by Project Gemini (1961-1966) which put the first American, John Glenn (1921-2016), into orbit on February 20, 1962.
In turn, Project Apollo began in 1961 and its first mission did not reach space, as the chosen astronauts suffered a fatal accident while still in the testing phase.
From Apollo 2 to Apollo 10, American scientists were learning and correcting the observed errors so that the trip was safe both on the way out and back.
In this way, they chose to design a spacecraft divided into three modules and only one would be specially prepared for landing.
The Apollo 11 spacecraft consisted of:
- Service Module: with propulsion, energy, oxygen and water.
- Command Module: a cabin for the three crew (this part returned to Earth).
- Lunar Module: called "Eagle" (Eagle), to land on the satellite.
To put it into orbit, scientists created the most powerful rocket ever created: the Saturn V.
The Apollo 11 mission was successful and uneventful on the outward journey. The astronauts spent two hours and forty-five minutes on the moon, planted the United States flag and collected rocks and sand.
They also left a seismograph that sent information about the Moon's seismic activities for five weeks. They also put up a board with the message signed by them and the president Richard Nixon:
"Here the men of planet Earth set foot on the Moon for the first time, on July 20, 1969. We come in peace in the name of all Humanity."
Only when it was time to go back was there a difficulty. Returning to the lunar module, Aldrin noticed that the part that would turn on the breaker had fallen. After much guesswork, he turned on the device by triggering the circuit breaker with a felt-tip pen.
After returning to Earth, the astronauts still spent 21 days in quarantine to make sure they had not brought any organisms that could endanger the planet.
men on the moon
The Apollo 11 crew consisted of three veteran astronauts on space travel:
Neil Armstrong
Born August 5, 1930, Neil Armstrong was a space engineer and served as a fighter pilot during the Korean War (1950-1953). After the conflict, he would work as a test pilot for airlines.
He was one of nine chosen for Project Gemini and made his first orbital flight in 1966. Three years later, he was selected to be the commander of Apollo 11 for his cold-bloodedness and reserved character.
After returning from space flight, he would also participate in the investigation of accidents that occurred at NASA and would dedicate himself to teaching at the University of Cincinatti. He died in 2012 at the age of 82.
Michael Collins
Born in 1930 in a family with a military tradition. He joined the United States Air Force and served as an American NATO pilot on a mission to Europe. He joined the space program in 1963 and made his first trip in 1966 when he "walked" through space.
Collins remained in the command module while Armstrong and Aldrin toured the moon. Despite not having been an alumni, Collins' mission was very important, as the return home depended on him.
Upon his return, Collins was director of the National Aerospace Museum of the United States, the Smithsonian Institute, and a professor at Harvard University.
Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrian
Born in 1930, Aldrian was considered the smartest of the three. He was a US Air Force pilot and joined the NASA program in October 1963 and was part of the Gemini Project's last voyage, 1966.
Selected for Apollo 11, he developed a method that would allow him to pilot the module eagle without needing assistance when it was time to return.
Unlike his fellow travelers, Aldrian remains enthusiastic about space travel and actively supports missions to the planet Mars.
Space race
The conquest of orbital space by the human being can only be understood in the context of Cold War, when the United States and the USSR fought for world supremacy.
Each wanted to show the world the advantages of their economic system. For this, they resorted to sport, weapons and especially science, to prove the superiority of socialism or capitalism.
The Soviets took the lead in the space race by launching the first artificial satellite: the Sputnik, on October 4, 1957. This triggered panic among the Americans, as no one knew what the Soviets might be seeing from the sky.
A month later, they launched the first living being into space, the dog Laika, on November 3, 1957.
For their part, the Americans created NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) in 1958, in order to focus the efforts of scientists and astronauts to conquer Earth orbit.
However, what made the Americans really accelerate their space program was the trip taken by the Soviet cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin (1934-1968).
On April 12, 1961, Gagarin became the first man to make a complete circuit around the planet and remain 108 minutes in space.
A month later, the American president John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) delivered a famous speech to the American Congress. Kennedy asserted that the United States should be the first to take and bring astronauts safely to the Moon.
Even with the assassination of the president in 1963, funding remained generous for NASA to accomplish this feat.
The Soviets would still send the first female and civilian to Earth orbit, Valentina Tereshkova (1937), on June 16, 1963.
Curiosities
- In 1996 a TV movie was released about the Apollo 11 mission directed by Norberto Barba.
- The astronaut doll from the series "Toy Story" was named after "Buzz" in honor of the astronaut.
- As the Cold War ended, the space program also no longer interested the American public. The last lunar mission took place in 1972 with Apollo 17.
- President Trump, in 2018, promised that Americans would once again be pioneers in space travel with a mission to the planet Mars.
Learn more about the Apollo mission with this video:
