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Table of Contents
Apollo Missions is a project conducted by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the 1960s and ’70s that landed the first humans on the Moon.
See the fact file below for more information on Apollo Missions or alternatively, you can download our 30-page Apollo Missions worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
Origin of the Mission
- NASA named its project Apollo Program which was primarily aimed to land humans on the moon in the 1960s and early 1970s.
- This enormous project was the result of the space race that began in 1957 between the United States and the Soviet Union.
- With the Russians ahead after Yuri Gagarin’s first spacewalk, U.S. President John F. Kennedy challenged NASA to land men on the moon and return them safely in his famous 1961 “Moon Speech.”
- To prepare for the big task, NASA launched Mercury Program, which ran from 1959 to 1963, and sent one-person crews into orbit to see if humans could survive and work in space.
- Once confirmed the probability, the agency’s Gemini program, from 1962 to 1966 conducted two-person missions that tested many maneuvers and components critical for landing on the moon.
- Finally, scientists have collected data to prepare the right equipment for the biggest project: the Apollo Program.
- Here, they projected sending three astronauts to the moon in a capsule that would send them to the moon and back. But they also needed a rocket that would be powerful enough to travel farther distance than the previous projects to enable the moon orbit and eventual landing.
- The rocket was named Saturn and it took ten successful test flights from 1961 to 1965 to make sure launching will be perfect and safe.
- Following the test flights, NASA moved on to Apollo-Saturn Uncrewed Missions which aimed to achieve structural integrity and compatibility of launch vehicle, as well as launch loads.
- The Uncrewed Missions and corrections:
- AS-201 – Resolve the problems of returning to Earth.
- AS-202 – NASA should regulate the temperature inside and surrounding the command module where the astronauts will stay.
- AS-203 – increase the safety and quality of signal from liquid-hydrogen television cameras.
- AS-204 (Apollo 1, Jan. 27, 1967) – The first attempt of crewed flight of Apollo, and was scheduled to launch Feb. 21, 1967. However, Astronauts Virgil Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chaffee lost their lives when a fire swept through the command module, or CM.
- Apollo 4 (Nov. 9, 1967) – Demonstrate mission support facilities and operations needed for launch and command module recovery.
- Apollo 5 (Jan. 22, 1968) – Verify operation of lunar module, or LM, ascent and descent propulsion systems.
- Apollo 6 (April 4, 1968) – Demonstrated structure and thermal integrity of launch vehicle and spacecraft but did not achieve verification of Saturn V propulsion, guidance and control, and electrical systems
First Apollo Crewed Missions
- Apollo 7 (Oct. 11, 1968) – The first Apollo crew to go into space and spent 11 days in Earth orbit to test various components of their command module.
- Apollo 8 (Dec. 21, 1968) – The first humans and Apollo crew to leave low-Earth orbit that took them around the moon and back to Earth.
- Apollo 9 (March 3, 1969) – The crew tested testing how to dock their command module with the lunar module that would be critical for landing on the moon.
- Apollo 10 (May 18, 1969) – The astronauts’ mission involved flying to the moon and bringing the lunar module to within about 15,000 meters (15 kilometers).
The Moon Landing Missions
- Apollo 11 (July 16, 1969) – Astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin and Michael Collins reached the moon and had two people walk over its surface. Armstrong and Aldrin left their boot prints that would still remain in the lunar regolith for millions of years.
- Apollo 12 (Nov. 14, 1969) – After surviving two lightning strikes during liftoff, the crew reached a different spot on the moon, touching down in a place called the Ocean of Storms.
- Apollo 13 (April 11, 1970) – The crew suffered after an oxygen tank explosion 56 hours into their flight to the moon, crippling the mission. They were forced to stay in the lunar module while circling the moon without landing and then returning to Earth.
- Apollo 14 (Jan. 31, 1971) – The crew was best remembered for having hit golf balls on the moon. Nicknamed the “the three rookies,” they were collectively the Apollo crew who had the least flight experience.
- Apollo 15 (July 26, 1971) The mission that carried the lunar roving vehicle, known as the moon buggy, for the first time to the moon.
- Apollo 16 (April 16, 1972) The crew landed at the Descartes Highlands and searched for volcanic rocks during their mission to see whether the moon’s surface had been formed through volcanic action. It did not.
- Apollo 17 (Dec. 7, 1972) The final Apollo mission that focused on science, with the astronauts spending the most time on the lunar surface and picking up the largest samples for further scientific research.
“One truth I have discovered for sure: When you believe that all things are possible and you are willing to work hard to accomplish your goals, you can achieve the next ‘impossible’ dream. No dream is too high!”
Buzz Aldrin, on Dreams
Apollo Missions Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about the Apollo Missions across 30 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Apollo Missions, a project conducted by NASA in the 1960s and ’70s that landed the first humans on the Moon.
Complete List of Included Worksheets
- The Apollo Missions Facts
- Apollo Missions
- Saturn’s Power
- Match the Fact
- Men on the Mission
- The First Men on the Moon
- Men of Wisdom
- Tribute to the Astronauts
- The Last Men on the Moon
- Apollo Anniversary
- Back to the Moon!
- From Apollo to Orion
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Link will appear as Apollo Missions Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, October 8, 2021
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.