Apollo relied heavily on aeronautical and hardware engineering for success; but software engineering also played an essential part. At its heart was the Apollo Guidance Computer located within both Command Module and Lunar Module spacecraft. At its time, this machine had the computing power of a pocket calculator and stored its code using core rope…
President Kennedy made clear his goal when urging Congress to fund NASA’s Apollo program: “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” NASA responded to that challenge by developing innovative vehicles such as the Saturn V rocket, which featured three-stages that transported astronauts between Earth and Moon. The Apollo Missions NASA’s Apollo program,…
The Smithsonian has published a high-resolution scan of Apollo 11 command module Columbia that is freely available online and includes data files suitable for 3D printing or VR viewing. If we ever want to build long-duration bases in space, astronauts will require the ability to manufacture their own tools – this is where additive manufacturing…
Apollo 11 immediately captured world imagination upon launch, drawing global interest as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin embarked upon mankind’s first steps ever on the Moon. It made history. They disassociated Eagle from Columbia, and began exploring the Moon’s surface. Furthermore, they deployed scientific equipment and collected samples of lunar materials. Launch Apollo 11 was…
As Eagle neared the moon, program alarms continued to interfere with communication with Mission Control and propellant was seen sloshing around due to low fuel levels. Further increasing tension was the fact that program alarms continued sporadically interrupting radio transmissions with Mission Control. Two minutes of radio silence ensued – which has since been exploited…
Apollo 10’s crew made history, yet their mission was only meant as a dress rehearsal for Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s epic landing on Apollo 11. While astronaut John Young remained in his command module, Stafford and Cernan disembarked from the Lunar Module (LM) and descended to just above the Moon. It was a dress…
The Postal Service recently unveiled two forever stamps commemorating Apollo 11. One shows a photograph taken by Neil Armstrong of Buzz Aldrin while another features an image of the moon with a dot representing where Apollo 11’s lunar module “Eagle” landed in the Sea of Tranquility. The First Man on the Moon Neil Armstrong became…
After 50 years have passed since Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin first set foot on the moon, it can be easy to forget just how expensive their accomplishment was. According to The Planetary Society, Project Apollo alone required $25.8 billion (in today’s dollars). That price tag still baffles, particularly considering NASA’s current budget constraints. Cost…
Nations around the globe tailor their space exploration missions to reflect wider national interests, with France targeting scientific goals; Russia looking to further extend their global predominance; and China hoping to displace America as technological leader. NASA’s Artemis project follows suit; its inaugural launch, set for 2024, will send an uncrewed Orion capsule past the…
