Apollo 11 Questions and Answers
Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the Moon on July 20, 1969, in front of millions of viewers watching it unfold live via television.
As soon as they arrived back on Earth on July 24th, the astronauts were received as heroes. They enjoyed dinner with President Nixon, participated in a parade through New York City and many television shows featuring their appearance.
What was the name of the lunar module?
The Lunar Module, or LM, was the world’s first crewed spaceship designed specifically to operate in outer space without an Earth-like atmosphere. It featured two highly sophisticated rocket engines – one for landing the craft onto the Moon and another one to blast it back into orbit – that were truly astounding feats of engineering.
Once Armstrong and Aldrin had safely entered the LM, they conducted several checklists to ensure everything was in working order before initiating its descent engine, which brought them down close to Earth’s surface.
At their landing spot called Sea of Tranquility, they deployed scientific equipment such as a television camera, seismology experiments, laser ranging retroreflector, still and motion picture cameras to take images of lunar terrain, the LM and each other as well as capture photos using still and motion picture cameras.
Their moonwalk lasted two and a half hours. During this time they conducted surveys, collected samples of lunar soil and rocks for analysis, displayed an American flag, read an inscription plaque, took photographs and communicated with Earth via ladder – with Neil Armstrong famously proclaiming his famous words of, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”. Grumman (now Northrop Grumman) produced only 13 Lunar Modules while three never actually saw flight – three more like this one did never see flight as they never made use.
What was the name of the command module?
Command/Service Module (CSM), built by North American Aviation and known by its code name Columbia as it honored Apollo — Greek god of music and sun worship — as its namesake.
As part of its development, the Apollo program encountered numerous hurdles. This ambitious mission required massive advances in flight science involving prolonged weightlessness, docking, meteoroid hazards and rocket propulsion technology – seemingly an impossible undertaking until Neil Armstrong set foot onto the Moon on July 20, 1969.
Armstrong became only the second human ever to set foot on another celestial body, and some 650 million people watched live as he spoke: ‘That’s one small step for man and one giant leap for mankind.”
Armstrong and his companions Michael Collins and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin remained in the CSM at the time of the landing, which took place near an area known as Tranquility Base. Following a 21-hour stay on the lunar surface, they returned to Columbia in lunar orbit via their lunar Lander Module, leaving just the CSM behind in lunar orbit during their return trip home.
What was the name of the lunar lander?
The Apollo Lunar Module, commonly referred to as Eagle, was the spacecraft that transported Armstrong and Aldrin to the lunar surface. Constructed by Grumman Aircraft for use in the Apollo program, this vehicle consisted of both descent stage and ascent stage assemblies designed for easy docking with Command Module before landing safely on Moon surface where astronauts would emerge to explore further.
Armstrong and Aldrin returned from their moonwalk after 21.5 hours by docking with Columbia and being transported back to their LM, which then fired its ascent engine and returned to land in the Sea of Tranquility.
Armstrong and Aldrin encountered several unanticipated challenges upon landing, which had not been prepared for. For instance, their lander’s computer indicated it was approaching a boulder field which they misinterpreted as debris from West Crater; therefore they took semi-manual control to maneuver it away from these rocks.
Armstrong and Aldrin made history on July 20, 1969 despite these difficulties, with over 650 million viewers watching as Armstrong emerged from the LM and announced, “That is one small step for mankind, one giant leap for mankind!”
What was the name of the lunar surface?
Mare Tranquillitatis or the Sea of Tranquility, as it is more commonly referred to, was formed when cracks in lunar crust connected with one another to form one massive crater when the moon was younger and much smaller than it is today due to volcanic eruptions producing intense heat that resulted in cracking within it.
Armstrong and Aldrin used the Eagle lunar module to explore for about two hours on their lunar exploration mission, taking photos and collecting samples before returning to Collins’ command module and flying home – fulfilling Kennedy’s challenge, while worldwide celebrating America’s achievement.
Prior to their journey on the moon, astronauts performed laboratory simulations to train for movement on its one-sixth of Earth gravity environment. They found it simple and straightforward to manage their movements using “loading,” moving six or seven steps ahead at any one time using this method. Furthermore, moving from sunlight into Eagle’s shadow did not significantly change temperature in their spacesuits.
On July 16, 1969, they took off in a Saturn V rocket, taking three days to reach lunar orbit before entering Eagle lunar module to take them down towards lunar surface.
What was the name of the landing site?
On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took a giant leap for humanity as they became the first humans ever to step foot onto the moon. Their achievement marked one of human history’s greatest feats – it required intricate synchrony among man, machine and celestial body; massive advances in flight science such as weightlessness docking rendezvous; giant rockets designed with unmatched precision in staging handling propulsion – all within an American decade that had seen profound change, tragedy and division.
The astronauts planned to explore the lunar surface aboard the Lunar Module (LM), deploy scientific equipment onto it, capture still and motion pictures of both their landing site, LM spacecraft and each other before leaving Earth and returning home safely.
Recorded conversations that reveal Kennedy’s private views of the race to the Moon can be found within these recordings. After giving his Rice University speech, Kennedy met with Webb and inquired as to how a landing could take place earlier; Webb replied by suggesting more money might help; Kennedy seemed perplexed that spending more would help things move faster.
What was the name of the astronauts?
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin comprised Apollo 11, which launched aboard a Saturn V rocket on July 16, 1969 and arrived on the Moon by July 19. After arriving at Eagle from their mission on the lunar surface, they underwent a 21-day quarantine period due to the possibility that bacteria from space might have infiltrated into their systems upon return home.
Armstrong and Aldrin successfully accomplished several tasks during their time aboard the lunar module, such as mapping its surface, collecting samples of lunar rocks, and setting up seismometer and laser retroreflector devices to measure distances between Earth and the Moon. Armstrong even made history by performing the first moonwalk ever made – it lasted approximately two hours!
The astronauts had only limited contact with the outside world through a television camera mounted on a tripod about 30 feet from the LM. A television signal was transmitted back to the USS Hornet aircraft carrier which carried them aboard; upon their arrival on board, a doctor in a BIG suit provided each with a quick medical assessment.
Michael Collins served as Command Module Pilot during Apollo 13’s flight, staying inside while Armstrong and Aldrin descended into Lunar Module (LM). He had completed one previous spaceflight aboard Gemini before going on four more missions including Apollo 13.
What was the name of the spacecraft?
No other space mission has received as much scrutiny as Apollo 11, and for good reason. It marked the first time humans set foot on another celestial body, demanding massive advances in rocket science as well as impeccable staging, handling, rendezvous and docking procedures that seemed impossible until it actually happened.
On July 16, 1969, two astronauts launched from Kennedy Space Center aboard an enormous Saturn V rocket and entered lunar orbit, where they would spend three days before beginning their descent towards its surface. Once on Moon surface, Armstrong and Aldrin would dock with Columbia, their command module that served as their home while on Luna.
Before the landing, they conducted several tests to make sure everything was functioning as planned and made modifications to Eagle, their landing module. Since it was important that the landing site be flat and dry, a platform was added at this location as well as planting an American flag on site.
Armstrong and Aldrin spent 21 hours exploring the surface before departing in their Lunar Module and joining Collins and Eagle before jettisoning Eagle and entering lunar orbit and Earth’s atmosphere again. They spent about four hours inside Eagle before returning back into Earth orbit before entering Earth’s atmosphere again.