Why Were the Apollo Missions Cancelled?

In 1961, President Kennedy challenged America to put boots on the moon as part of a geopolitical prestige project meant to outwit Soviet Russia in the Space Race. This program eventually evolved into the Apollo program which eventually succeeded in fulfilling that objective.

But the expensive program soon became a political liability as mechanical issues threatened the lives of Apollo 13 crewmembers. Support for future missions decreased and Congress began diverting funding toward other initiatives.

Budget

Once the United States had accomplished its first successful moon landing, their focus shifted from technical research-based missions still planned to beating Soviet competitors and taking an edge in the Space Race.

Budgetary concerns aside, national support for space travel gradually diminished during this period due to Vietnam War dragged on for too long and serious problems arose across cities across America. Many felt that winning against Soviet space travel no longer mattered and no longer wanted to invest large amounts of money on human space exploration1.

NASA was still able to accomplish most of the original planned Apollo missions despite these hurdles, cancelling three due to budget and safety considerations.

On January 4, 1970, mission Apollo 20 was cancelled due to budget limitations and the requirement that Saturn V rockets used for Apollo missions be put to use launching Skylab later that year.

NASA was forced to make this difficult decision, since it meant astronauts Stuart Roosa and Pete Conrad would no longer get the opportunity to complete their space walks. Conrad was assigned back to Skylab while Apollo 18 and 19 flight profiles were revised accordingly to include only lunar orbiting missions rather than extended landing missions.

Apollos 20, 19, and 20 also saw some minor modifications made. NASA headquarters decided that each mission required a scientist to fly as the LMP position on each flight – likely an unpleasant decision by some astronauts; nonetheless it had to be accepted.

No definitive reason can be given as to why Apollo 20 was cancelled, although one possibility is that an oxygen tank explosion on Apollo 13 may have resulted in serious injury or even death to astronauts, which would have put President Nixon in an untenable situation when associating himself with its success; and may have led him to decide that taking this risk wasn’t worth taking.

Safety

Apollo 11 crew’s landing on the moon marked an event meant to conclude the Space Race and symbolize US power, beating Soviets therein and becoming symbolic of it. But after its return, interest in further human space exploration waned due to many citizens being concerned over cost and risks involved with lunar missions as well as any possible health effects caused by space travel for astronauts.

Project Apollo was NASA’s most costly endeavor and was facing increasing political pressure to be terminated by the time Apollo 14 landed, when Congress began pushing for budget cuts and NASA was simultaneously trying to develop the Space Shuttle which required extensive resources from them both.

NASA decided to cancel three planned Apollo missions due to a lack of a clear mission statement and because a working lunar rover was essential for meaningful scientific return.

As a result, Apollo 19, 20, and 21 manned lunar missions (originally set for February 1972) were cancelled, along with three planned Saturn V test flights that had also been planned at that time. Thus the launch dates of remaining missions had to be adjusted.

In the interim, astronauts were assigned other missions. McDivitt was moved from Apollo 6 to D mission (later Apollo 8), while Borman took on C mission (Apollo 9). Meanwhile, Lunar Module 1 (LM 1) flew solo as Apollo 5, while test flights with Lunar Module 2 (LM-2) were also cancelled and retrofitted as an Apollo lunar module before being donated to Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum as a simulator of lunar landing.

NASA officials had become increasingly concerned with the cost of lunar missions; once their lunar rover had proven its success, their cost became less of a priority. So by cancelling three more Apollo missions they freed up one Saturn 5 rocket for use on Skylab orbital station in 1973.

Public interest

NASA’s Apollo program was an ambitious undertaking during the 1960s. Representing one of the largest research and development efforts ever seen in peacetime history, as well as representing significant federal spending, its missions eventually comprised over 40 separate missions. But after the Cold War subsided and interest in space travel diminished due to President Nixon’s efforts to reduce spending; their planned missions beyond Apollo 17 were cancelled as planned missions became infrequently flown.

Budget constraints were the main driver behind cancellations, although public perception may also have played a part. Apollo 13’s near fatal oxygen tank explosion made many question whether taking on such risks was worth it; furthermore, Kennedy’s ambition of sending US boots onto the Moon suffered after Apollo 13 failed.

Even though early Apollo missions had been relatively safe, incidents plagued the Apollo program which made it appear increasingly risky over time. Furthermore, declining national interest in space exploration made it more difficult for Congress to support expensive Apollo projects like Apollo 7.

In January 1970, NASA cancelled Apollo 20. Soon thereafter in September they also cancelled 18 and 19, with NASA beginning to shift away from Moon programs as development of space shuttles began vying for money and hardware with Apollo missions.

These flights were meant to explore various areas on the Moon, with Apollo 18 originally set to land at Gassendi crater; however, geologist Harrison Schmitt advocated for an ambitious landing at Tsiolkovsky crater on its far side despite its invisibility from Earth – believing this large area should remain unexplored.

Under pressure from the scientific community, Schmitt was assigned to Apollo 17. As part of its crew he became the only professional scientist ever to walk on the Moon; fellow astronauts on that mission included Vance Brand and Don Lind. Unfortunately the mission was cancelled but revived later with Schmitt as its commander.

Technology

Apollo missions were an enormous technological undertaking that stretched the limits of technology to new limits. From designing spacecraft themselves to programming computers used to run them, apollo required innovation at every step. Furthermore, it helped bring space travel within reach by making it more cost effective; many technologies we rely on today, such as smartphones and the internet have their roots in Apollo program innovation – these innovations have had profound effects on lives worldwide!

The Apollo programme was the largest research and development effort ever undertaken during peacetime history. Employing thousands of workers, it represented one of the United States’s biggest financial commitments ever. Unfortunately, following Apollo 11’s success public and political interest began to fade due to both Cold War factors as well as pressure to reduce federal spending.

Due to budget concerns and safety fears raised by Apollo 13 mission, NASA was forced to cancel three remaining Moon landing missions planned between 1969 and 1970, even though their hardware had been positioned on museum exhibits. While cancellation was partly about money, safety concerns played a bigger role. With mechanical failures on Apollo 13 heightening fears about lunar exploration.

After the Apollo 13 disaster, President Nixon put an immediate halt to future missions due to concerns for astronauts’ safety and his desire to prevent another tragedy from marring his re-election chances. Nixon believed any further tragedies might make Americans question the value of space travel.

Apollo 18 and 19 were cancelled due to budget restrictions; while Apollos 17 and 21 were revised into J-type missions that involved extended stays on the Moon via Lunar Roving Vehicle and included professional scientists aboard two missions.

Harrison Schmitt was assigned as Lunar Module Pilot on Apollo 17 mission. An avid geologist by training, Harrison convinced NASA officials to consider his proposal for an exploratory mission on the far side of the Moon – something no previous Apollo mission had accomplished before this one!