We sometimes forget that the Apollo 11 landing occurred during a time of rapid change and political upheaval in America – yet its lunar ambition galvanized an entire generation and took spaceflight to new heights. Michael Collins watched with pride as Armstrong and Aldrin descended the LM Eagle to the lunar surface despite many hurdles…
On December 24th, Borman, Anders and Lovell fired the third stage’s engines to align for a lunar flyby and make preparations for translunar injection. Capcom Michael Collins gave approval and declared: ‘All clear for translunar injection!” Houston trajectory specialists and computer wizards were overjoyed, knowing their calculations had come out correctly for once! What an…
Apollo 11 marks a monumental event: it marked the first time humans set foot on the Moon and thus altered history forever. Museums across the nation are gearing up for an exciting summer of space-related events and exhibits, and here are a few. Neil Armstrong’s spacesuit will be on display at the Smithsonian National Air…
During the Apollo program, astronauts spent a third of their training time using hardware simulators for training purposes. Simulators allowed crewmembers to not only rehearse and master their mission but also build resilience by understanding where things could potentially go wrong. Flight Director Gene Kranz quickly assumed that when his guidance computer displayed 1201 code,…
On July 16, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin embarked on their historic Apollo 11 space mission – both an extraordinary and costly venture. The Planetary Society used data NASA reported to Congress from 1960-1973 in reconstructing Project Apollo costs; these expenses have been adjusted for inflation. The Eagle One of the central tenets of…
Food not only keeps astronauts healthy but it plays a critical role in morale as well. Dehydrated meals had to be lightweight and easily transported, while still tasting good. Early space food was bland and unappetizing, but advances during Mercury and Gemini led to greater variety, improved taste, and streamlined preparation processes. Hot Water NASA…
Generations have viewed Apollo 11’s landing as one of the defining moments in human history, and as we approach its 50th anniversary celebrations are marking this event with extra-special celebrations at destinations tied directly to it. Space Center Houston in Texas and other sites have returned to the 1969 look, hosting special events honoring Armstrong,…
After Apollo 13’s failure, congressional interest in NASA’s lunar program declined significantly and led to cancellation of Apollo 18 and 19. Even after these cancellations, several other planned missions remained. These included the H and J missions. While H missions would have involved short duration stays on the moon with only two LEVAs (moonwalks), J…
This rare NASA commemorative Swiss Army knife was released in 1989 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Apollo 11 Moon Landing. It features an image from that mission in metal inlay on its front blade; while on its main blade is depiction of Command Module docked with Moon Lander as well as dates for landing….
