What was the Apollo program?
The Apollo program was NASA's project to land humans on the Moon and bring them safely home. Between 1969 and 1972, six Apollo missions landed 12 astronauts on the Moon.
The program ran from 1961 to 1972. It began with tragedy: in January 1967, a fire during a launch rehearsal killed the Apollo 1 crew, Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee. NASA redesigned the spacecraft, and in December 1968, Apollo 8 became the first crewed mission to orbit the Moon.
On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon while Michael Collins orbited above. Later missions explored more widely, and the last three used a Lunar Roving Vehicle to drive across the surface. Apollo 17, in December 1972, was the last crewed Moon landing of the program.
Apollo 13
In April 1970, an oxygen tank exploded on Apollo 13 on the way to the Moon. The crew used their lunar module as a lifeboat and returned safely to Earth. The mission became known as a successful failure and inspired a 1995 film.
Did You Know?
Apollo astronauts brought back about 382 kilograms of Moon rocks and soil, which scientists are still studying today.