The Apollo U.S. manned spaceflight program (1961-1972) devoted to the goal of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth within the decade of the 1960s. This goal was achieved with the Apollo 11 mission in 1969. The program was extended into the early 1970s to carry out the inital manned scientific exploration of the moon. |
The Apollo program was a manned spaceflight program undertaken by the United States of America, conducted during the years (1961-1972). It was devoted to the goal of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth within the decade of the 1960s. This goal was achieved with the Apollo 11 mission in 1969. The program was extended into the early 1970s to carry out the inital manned scientific exploration of the moon. |
The Apollo Program was the third United States manned spaceflight program, following the Mercury program and the Gemini program. Apollo was originally conceived late in the Eisenhower? administration as a follow-on to Mercury for advanced earth-orbital missions. It was dramatically reoriented to an aggressive lunar landing goal by President Kennedy, announced on May 25, 1961. |
The Apollo Program was the third United States manned spaceflight program, following the Mercury program and the Gemini program. Apollo was originally conceived late in the Eisenhower? administration as a follow-on to Mercury for advanced earth-orbital missions. It was dramatically reoriented to an aggressive lunar landing goal by President Kennedy, announced at a special joint session of Congress on May 25, 1961: |
The Apollo program included eleven manned flights, designated Apollo 7 thru Apollo 17. Apollo 2 thru Apollo 6 were unmanned test flights; the Apollo 1 designation was applied to the originally planned first manned flight which ended in a disastrous fire during a launch pad test that killed three astronauts. The first of the manned flights employed the Saturn 1-B launch vehicle, the following flights all used the more powerful [Saturn V]?. Two of the flights (Apollo 7 and Apollo 9) were earth orbital missions, two of the flights (Apollo 8 and Apollo 10) were lunar orbital missions, and the remaining 7 flights were lunar landing missions (although one, Apollo 13, failed to land). |
:I believe this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important in the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish. The Apollo program included eleven manned flights, designated Apollo 7 thru Apollo 17, all launched from the KSC. Apollo 2 thru Apollo 6 were unmanned test flights; the Apollo 1 designation was applied to the originally planned first manned flight which ended in a disastrous fire during a launch pad test that killed three astronauts. The first of the manned flights employed the Saturn 1-B launch vehicle, the following flights all used the more powerful [Saturn V]?. Two of the flights (Apollo 7 and Apollo 9) were earth orbital missions, two of the flights (Apollo 8 and Apollo 10) were lunar orbital missions, and the remaining 7 flights were lunar landing missions (although one, Apollo 13, failed to land). |
The name Apollo refers to the Greek god. |
Official Apollo program website: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/history/apollo/index.html |