17 facts about the Apollo program

NASA was officially established in October 1958. Barely two years later, the agency launched what would become one of the twentieth century programs: Apollo, which propelled humans on the Moon in 1969. In honor of the 60th Anniversary of NASA, and 50th Anniversary of the Moon's Landing, here are 17 facts about the Apollo program.

1. THE NAME DOES NOT HAVE DEEP ROOTS.

When NASA and the Space Working Group began thinking about the names of their first piloted satellite project, they favored the "astronaut project," which they said "would focus on the satellite man ". According to NASA, this name was finally removed Mercury was chosen instead: thanks to its use in thermometers and automotive branding, the American public knew him well. The role of the Roman god as a messenger was also attractive [PDF]. The program would include six manned flights between 1961 and 1963, taking us from Alan Shepard's 15-minute flight to L. Gordon Cooper's 34-hour flight.

When NASA started looking beyond the Mercury missions, they recognized that a mythological naming convention had been established. Professor Abe Silverstein, director of space flight programs at NASA, has suggested Apollo, the Greco-Roman god, which may seem like a strange choice for a lunar program, considering that Apollo is traditionally associated with the sun rather than with the sun. 39 to the moon. But Silverstein would have thought that the image of Apollo riding his chariot through the sun was appropriate to the large scale of the proposed program.

according to The New York TimesHowever, Silverstein will later say that there was "no specific reason for it … it was just an attractive name."

2. APOLLO WAS NOT ORIGINAL TO STOP TAKING ON THE SURFACE OF THE MOON.

The initial intention of the program was not actually a lunar landing. When it was announced in 1960, the Apollo project was intended to send a crew of three men orbit the moon, not to land on he. It was only in May 1961 that President John F. Kennedy delivered his famous speech stating that "our country should commit to reaching the goal by the end of this decade." , landing a man on the moon and sending him safely back to Earth. . "

It was an ambitious plan: by the time Kennedy announced this announcement, only two people had already been found in space. In addition to the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin in April 1961 and Alan Shepard a month later, other animals that had visited the area included fruit flies, monkeys, dogs and a chimpanzee.

3. APOLLO 2 AND 3 DO NOT EXIST.

In 1967, astronauts Virgil Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chaffee performed a preflight test, in which the control module was mounted as it would be for a launch, but nothing would be powered, for what was known as the AS-204 mission. the fire broke out, killing the three astronauts. The decision was made to honor the astronauts by referring to the never-ending flight as Apollo 1… but it leaves open the question of how to call the next flight.

One solution was to call the next Apollo 2 flight. Another option proposed was to retroactively designate three previous flights (AS-201, 202 and 203) under the names Apollo 1-A, Apollo 2 and Apollo 3, although these flights were been launched before. fire. The reason for the suggestion was not even obvious to NASA. As the agency explained, "the sequence and logic of mission designations have never been really clear to anyone".

Eventually, according to NASA's history, the never-launched flight "would be officially recorded as Apollo 1," Apollo Saturn's first flight flown – failed during ground tests. "AS-201, AS-202 and AS -203 would not be renumbered in the "Apollo" series, and the next mission would be Apollo 4. "

4. THE LAUNCH OF APOLLO 4 HAS BEEN ONE OF THE NOISES MANUFACTURED BY THE MOST BURNING MAN.

Apollo 4, an unmanned mission that served as a test for the Saturn V rocket, culminating at 100 meters, was the first launch at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 9, 1967. The takeoff was so strong (According to NASA, one of the strongest artificial noises ever recorded) rocked buildings up to three miles away, causing dust and debris to fall from the control center's ceiling (this -above). "I hope that the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) will not have any cracks," said Hans Greune, director of Kennedy Launch Vehicle Operations, after the launch. "It shook loudly enough and an acclaim settled in the control room after takeoff." The launch system lacked soundproofing system – but by the time of using the space shuttle, more than 300,000 gallons of water had been sprayed in just 41 seconds to attenuate sound levels.

The successful mission focused on testing the structural and thermal integrity of the vessel and evaluating various support facilities.

5. APOLLO 5 WAS A SUCCESS; APOLLO 6, not really.

The Apollo 5, which was not dressed, was designed to test the operation of the lunar module, and it was for the most part a success (the temperature of the boiler was a problem). Apollo 6 was also unmanned, but had many more problems. For 30 seconds, he experienced something called "pogo effect" (which Popular science almost explains "as if the rocket was bouncing on a pogo stick") – something that NASA pointed out "would have been very uncomfortable for any crew". Then two of the engines have been stopped and the third step will not restart. Despite all these setbacks, Apollo 6 has never made headlines in the national press. The day of the disastrous flight, Martin Luther King. Jr. was murdered in Tennessee. "The only explanation that NASA had to make was therefore addressed to congressional committees on space activities, which seemed satisfied with what they had heard," NASA said.

6. THE PROGRAM RECEIVED AN EMMY.

Apollo 7 It was a premiere mission: it was the first Apollo mission to send people into space, as well as the first live TV shows from space. During the transmissions, called "Wally, Walt, and Donn Show", astronauts Walter Schirra, R. Walter Cunningham and Donn Eisele made the tour of the vehicle and took the opportunity to make some jokes. Schirra even stated that he "was going to try to get an Emmy for the best weekly series," to which the ground team replied, "I thought you were going to try a Hammy" [PDF].

In a way, Schirra realized his wish: In 1969, Apollos 7, 8, 9 and 10, all of whom made programs on Earth, received a special award from the directors of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

7. APOLLO 8 GAS NASA SUED.

Christmas Eve 1968, Apollo 8 Astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders circled the Moon and photographed the famous Earthrise photo. They were also asked to do "something appropriate" to honor the event for the millions of people who listened to them. They decided to recite Genesis. "It's a foundation of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam," Lovell said of the choice. "They all had this base of the Old Testament."

The famous atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair – sometimes referred to as "America's Most Hated Woman" – was published, alleging that her First Amendment rights had been violated. In the end, the judge dismissed the complaint and the Supreme Court refused to hear him for lack of jurisdiction. But this had an effect on subsequent missions. According to Buzz Aldrin's memoirs, he had intended to read a passage of communion on Earth at Apollo 11, but was asked at the last moment not to do so because of the legal difficulties faced by Apollo 8 .

8. THE FLAGS OF THE MOON HAVE A COMPLEX HISTORY.

Raising the American flag on the moon has turned out to be a controversial move. In his inaugural speech in 1969, President Nixon proclaimed that we must "go together to a new world – not as new worlds to conquer, but as a new adventure to share". This spirit of shared exploration has led some NASA members to discuss putting a United Nations flag on the moon. At the same time, some worried about the visual effect of planting an American flag on the moon, which could give the impression that the Americans were taking control of the moon (which would have been a violation of the Treaty on Outer Space). . Ultimately, however, the committee decided to plant the American flag and leave a plaque to emphasize that they "came in peace for all humanity".

The debate on the flags will be settled in unequivocal terms later in 1969, when the NASA credits bill proclaims "the flag of the United States, and no other flag will be implanted or otherwise placed on the surface of the United States. Moon or the surface of the United States. any planet, by the crew members of any spacecraft engaged in a lunar or planetary landing as part of an Apollo mission or a mission in a subsequent program, the funds of which are wholly the charge of the United States Government ". Mindful of the Outer Space Treaty, the bill stated that: "This act is conceived as a symbolic gesture of national pride for success and should not be interpreted as a declaration of national ownership. by claiming sovereignty. . "

9. IT'S UNCLEAR OR THE APOLLO 11 FLAG COMING FROM.

There are two possible sources for the Apollo 11 flag – and none of them involve anything high tech. Originally, NASA had proclaimed that "stars and bands to be deployed on the moon were purchased with several others made by different manufacturers" in stores in the Houston area. When it was affixed to the pole and crossbar that would be planted in the dust of the moon, all the tags and identification information were removed.

Shortly after landing the moon, according to a report from NASA's contractor on the lunar flag, the leader of the flag maker, Annin & Co., asked if the flag was one of theirs. He was told that "three secretaries had been sent to buy nylon flags of 3 x 5 feet during the lunch hour." After their return, it was discovered that they had all bought their flag at Sears ".

Annin was the official supplier of the Sears flag, but did not want "another Tang" – a reference to the free advertising that Tang received from NASA after John Glenn drank an orange liquid in a pouch. Friendship 7– they refused to confirm the manufacturer.

Jack Kinzler, a NASA executive, has not been able to verify this information. his notes suggest that the flag was purchased from the government's stock catalog for $ 5.50.

10. BUZZ ALDRIN MUST COMPLETE AN EXPENSE REPORT FOR HIS JOURNEY.

Even a man of the trip of his life had to fill some papers later: once back on Earth, after the success of Moonwalk, Aldrin deposited a travel voucher totaling $ 33.31. "To: Cape Kennedy, Florida, Pacific Ocean of the Moon (USN Hornet)," reads.

11 APOLLO 12 Was assaulted by lightning – twice – after life.

36 seconds after the takeoff of November 14, 1969, astronauts from Apollo 12-Alan Bean, Charles "Pete" Conrad and Richard Gordon, Jr. – felt something odd. Then things started to go wrong. The craft had been struck by lightning twice, 36 seconds after takeoff and again at 52 seconds. Although no one in the crew or on the ground realized what had happened, the three men were calm and waited for him. Bean will say later: "One of the rules of spaceflight is not to switch with this electrical system unless you have a good idea of ​​why you are doing it. I knew we had power, so I did not want to make a change. I thought we could fly into orbit like this. He ended up resetting the electrical systems and after 25 minutes these systems and fuel cells were put back into service. But the crew still had to run its main engine to leave the Earth's orbit and head to the moon – and automated navigation was halted. Gordon used a sextant and Bean pulled out a star map to help determine where to go. And they did it.

The next Apollo mission is perhaps the most famous, apart from eleven, because of its own problems – and an oxygen tank intended for Apollo 10 (Apollo 13Jim Lovell will later congratulate the Apollo 10 the crew to get rid of it). The tank, 10024X-TA0009, was one of two sets from the previous Apollo mission, but pump problems resulted in a modification of all tanks. When removing this particular tank, he got stuck in a bolt and fell two inches – but as it was felt that no damage has occurred, everyone is gone, and the tank was installed in the spaceship soon called Apollo 13.

During the pre-flight tests, the technicians found that the tank was struggling to empty. To boil the remaining liquid oxygen, the electric heater inside the tank was plugged into a 65-volt power supply for eight hours, the nearby wires being subjected to temperatures up to 1000 ° F. It will be discovered later that the use of the voltage of 65 volts seriously damaged the thermostatic switches of the tank, designed for a voltage of 28 volts (NASA explains that in 1965, the admissible voltage of the heating elements had been reach to 65 volts, but the manufacturer of the thermostatic switch the memo). This internal damage probably caused a spark that destroyed the tank, resulting in the legendary saying "Houston, we had a problem" [PDF] and, in 1995, an award-winning film.

12 APOLLO 12 Maybe you have found microbes on the moon … or maybe not.

When Apollo 12 He landed on the moon, right next to the lander since the Surveyor 3 of 1967. The astronauts seized elements of the craft – including a camera – to study the effects of the years on the lunar surface.

The researchers did not sterilize Surveyor 3 and, when the camera was opened in a clean room on Earth, a small colony of Streptococcus mitis was discovered. These bacteria had apparently survived for nearly three years without nutrients in a frozen space and the discovery, which is often discussed on the Internet, was hailed as a remarkable discovery.

Unfortunately, the researchers recently returned to the Surveyor 3 camera and learned that the claim was, at best, unconvincing. One of the problems was that people who were studying the device wore short sleeves, which meant that the contamination after recovery was a very real possibility – although the researchers warn that "to prove the truth in such a situation is difficult or impossible. [PDF].

Microbes or not, there is always an important advantage to draw from the situation: it has demonstrated the potential problems that may arise with future samples returning from places like Mars.

13 APOLLO 15 TAKE A VEHICLE TO THE MOON.

Apollo 15, the fourth mission to lay human boots on the moon, was equipped with a first vehicle of this type, a lunar vehicle of 460 pounds, which was about the size of a buggy. Astronauts David Scott and James Irwin were the first to roll to the surface of another world, and the LRV – which had a top speed of 8 mph – allowed them to travel further away from their site. Landing that all previous astronauts. "The LRV on Apollo met a very important need, which was to be able to cover large crossings, carry more samples and do more scientific exploration," said Mike Neufeld, senior curator at Smithsonian Washington National Air and Space Museum. DC, told SPACE.com in 2011. "It was a very important part of the reason Apollo 15, 16, and 17 were so much more scientifically advanced and more productive. Scott and Irwin traveled about 17 miles in the LRV, and the design of the vehicles – and their experiences on the moon – helped illuminate the design of the rovers that went to Mars.

14. AN ASTRONAUT APOLLO HAS A REACTION TO THE LUNAR REGOLITH.

Geologist Harrison Schmitt was the only scientist to walk on the moon. He had a reaction to lunar regolith or moon dust. Schmitt said the dust had caused "a lot of irritation to the sinuses and nostrils shortly after removing the helmet … the dust really kept me in the eyes and throat. I tasted it and ate it. He joked that he had "the hay fever of lunar dust." " Apollo 17 741 rock and soil samples, more than any other Apollo mission.

15. APOLLO ASTRONAUTS WERE VARIED IN JOBS AT HOME.

The post-space career of Apollo astronauts is varied – Michael Collins was the first director of the National Air and Space Museum, for example. Harrison Schmitt became a senator of New Mexico. James B. Irwin founded an evangelical organization, while Edgar Mitchell studied the psychic phenomenon.

Buzz Aldrin told CNN that the astronaut who would occupy the most interesting position after Moonwalk could be: "Most people who have enjoyed some public recognition find themselves financially well off. This is not the case for astronauts. He ended up working at a Cadillac dealership in Beverly Hills, though he admits he was not very good. He explained in his memoirs Beautiful desolation"I was a horrible salesman … People came to the field looking for a car and, as soon as I started a conversation with them, the subject immediately went from the comfort and the convenience of a new or used luxury car to travel in the space. I spent more time signing autographs than anything else … In fact, I did not sell any cars for all my work time. [the dealer]. "

16. A LEFT EXPERIENCE ON THE MOON DURING THE MISSIONS OF APOLLO IS IN PROGRESS.

One of the most enduring contributions of Apollo 11 was a 2 foot wide panel consisting of 100 mirrors. Similar objects were left by Apollos 14 and 15 as well as the Soviet rovers. The Lunar and Planetary Institute experiment, dubbed the Laser Scanning Laser Rangefinder lunar experiment, is "the only Apollo experiment to render data from the moon". The experience is to shoot a laser in the mirror and wait for the reflection. as anyone who shines a laser pointer knows, even if they do not scatter as much as other light sources, the lasers are still scattering. In the case of the Moon, the laser has a diameter of 3.3 miles when it hits the moon and 12.4 miles Thanks to this program, we learned that the Moon was moving about 1.5 cm from the moon every year. Earth and that we had a new insight into Einstein's theory of general relativity.

17. Nearly half a century after the final mission of Apolo, human exploration still has its importance.

It is often said that we never came back to the moon after Apollo. This is not entirely true. In 2016, the Chinese rover Yutu ceased operations after 31 months on the moon. But humans have not come back and this can be a problem.

In 2012, Ian Crawford of Birkbeck College London wrote an article in which he explained that space travel has advantages over robotic exploration. On the one hand, "human missions such as Apollo are between two and three orders of magnitude more efficient for performing exploration tasks than robotic missions, while being more expensive to perform." one to two orders of magnitude " [PDF]. The paper also points out that missions like Apollo are funded and undertaken for a wide range of socio-political reasons and that humanity can take advantage of it in many ways.

Not everyone is convinced. Some critics argue that autonomous robots, with their rapidly improving abilities, are the best option. This is an issue that has serious implications for the future of space exploration.