The Apollo Programme

The Apollo Programme was a series of manned space missions conducted by NASA, the United States’ space agency, between 1960 and 1972.
Its main goal was to achieve a manned lunar landing, in response to the Soviet Union’s early successes in space exploration.

Apollo 1 was intended to be the first manned mission, but it never launched due to a cabin fire during a launch rehearsal test, which resulted in the deaths of the astronaut crew.
Apollo 7 was the first successful manned mission and it tested the Command Module in Earth orbit.
Apollo 11 is renowned as the mission that successfully landed the first two humans - Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin - on the Moon in 1969.
Apollo 13 was intended to be a lunar landing mission but had to be aborted after an oxygen tank in the service module exploded. The crew managed to return safely to Earth.

The Apollo Programme collected valuable moon rock samples and performed a variety of scientific experiments on the lunar surface.
The different scientific experiments included seismic experiments to record moonquakes, and the collection of solar wind particles.
The moon rocks brought back to Earth allowed scientists to better understand the Moon’s geological history and have informed theories about the Moon’s creation - including the prevailing Giant Impact Hypothesis.

The Apollo Programme spurred on many advances in technology and engineering, many of which have had uses outside of space exploration.
Notable technological developments include the Saturn V rocket, the largest rocket ever successfully launched, and the Apollo Lunar Module, the first manned vehicle designed to operate in the vacuum of space.
The Apollo missions also used a revolutionary computer system (Apollo Guidance Computer), a significant development in the emergence of the digital age.

The Apollo Programme marked the end of the ‘space race’ and led to a period of détente and greater cooperation in space exploration between the USA and the Soviet Union, including the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project.
Apollo also sparked a renewed interest in space exploration and science in general, inspiring generations of scientists, engineers and everyday individuals.
Despite its high cost and the risks involved, the Apollo Programme is often considered a testament to human scientific and technological achievement.