Mission-to-the-Moon

Mission to the Moon 

  Humans have set foot on only one world beyond earth: the moon. Just 27 daredevil astronauts have travelled there, of whom 12 walked on its cratered, lifeless surface.
Eight space missions visited the moon between 1968 and 1972 as part of NASA’ S Apollo programme. Each mission carried three American astronauts inside an Apollo spacecraft, which was launched by a saturn V rocked. Apollo 8 tested the craft as it orbited the moon. Then, in a dress rehearsal prior to landing, Apollo 10 flew close to the lunar surface. The first of the six missions that successfully landed on the Moon was Apollo 11 in 1969. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and buzz Aldrin touched down on the surface in the in July of that year. As Armstrong took the first historic step, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

Saturn V rocket 

  The apollo astronauts were blasted into space inside the nose cone of the largest rocket ever build: Saturn V. Stanting nearly 111 m(364 ft) high, the Saturn V was as tell as a 30-storey building. This giant launch vehicle consisted of three rockets in one. The first two parts’ or staged, lifted theApollo craft into space, and the third stage set the spacecraft on course for the Moon.

Apollo Spacecraft 

  The apollo spacecraft had three parts: the command, service, and lunar modules. These were all linked together for the 400,000 km (250,000mile) trip to the Moon. Once there , the lunar moduie took two astronauts down to the Moon’s surface, while the third crew member remained in lunar orbit in the combined command and service module (CSM).The top half of the lunar module, known as the ascent stage, later returned the two astronauts to the CSM for the journey back to earth.

Man on the moon 

  The lunar module was the only part of the apollo craft to reach the Moon’s surface. Pre-programmed controls manoeuvred it into position abovethe landing site, then an astronaut steered the craft to touchdown. Scientific equipment, a tv camera, and tools and storage boxs for rock collecting were all stored in the bottom half.

There and back 

  Each of the six Apollo missions that landed men on the Moon took the same route, taking off from floride, USA, and ending with the astronauts splashing down in the pacific
Saturn V rocket carrying APOLLO craft blasts off and positions craft in earth’s orbits.the rocket’s third stage and apollo craft leave earth’s orbit and head towards the moon. Combined command and service module (CSM) Separates from the rocket. CSM turns and docks with lunar module. Third rocket stages is now discarded.