Apollo: Mankind's Greatest Achievement?

With the recent 50th anniversary of the first Moon landings, I would imagine much has been forgotten by those of us old enough to have lived through it.....
After the disastrous Apollo 1 fire and the demise of Chaffee, White and Grissom, how many remember Apollo's 2 and 3?
You're forgiven if like me you had forgotten.
Here is the account of those....
Actually both were cancelled...as per the following account.....
https://www.popsci.com/blog-network/vintage-space/what-happened-apollos-2-and-3/
"Apollo 2 was, a duplicate of the Apollo 1 mission to give NASA a chance to test or revisit anything the first crew might have missed. Apollo 3 would debut the advanced Block II CSM, the lunar mission-capable version of the spacecraft designed to dock with the Lunar Module and create a tunnel through which astronauts could transfer between vehicles".
and here.....
"Not long after Gemini 12 splashed down on November 15, 1966, George Mueller of the Office of Manned Spaceflight cancelled Apollo 2. The missions were reorganized so Apollo 2 would debut the Lunar Module while Apollo 3, a high Earth orbit mission with both the CSM and LM, would be the first manned Saturn V launch".
https://space.stackexchange.com/questions/2500/why-did-apollo-mission-numbering-skip-2-3-4-5-and-6
Apollo 4 was an uncrewed test flight of the Saturn V
Apollo 5 was the first uncrewed flight of the Lunar Module
Apollo 6 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_6

Apollo 7 was a crewed mission in Earth orbit...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_7

and Apollo 8 went to Lunar orbit
Apollo 9 low Earth orbit and tests on all aspects. as per...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_9
"and was the first flight of the full Apollo spacecraft: the command and service module (CSM) with the Lunar Module (LM). The mission was flown to qualify the LM for lunar orbit operations in preparation for the first Moon landing by demonstrating its descent and ascent propulsion systems, showing that its crew could fly it independently, then rendezvous and dock with the CSM again, as would be required for the first crewed lunar landing. Other objectives of the flight included firing the LM descent engine to propel the spacecraft stack as a backup mode (as would be required on the Apollo 13 mission), and use of the portable life support system backpack outside the LM cabin."

Apollo 10 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_10
Apollo 10 was a May 1969 human spaceflight, the fourth crewed mission in the United States Apollo program, and the second (after Apollo8) to orbit the Moon. It was the Fmission: a "dress rehearsal" for the first Moon landing, testing all the components and procedures just short of actually landing. While astronaut John Young remained in the Command Module orbiting the Moon, astronauts Thomas Stafford and Gene Cernan flew the Apollo Lunar Module (LM) to a descent orbit within 8.4 nautical miles (15.6 km) of the lunar surface, the point where powered descent for landing would begin.[2] After orbiting the Moon 31 times[3] Apollo 10 returned safely to Earth, and its success enabled the first actual landing (Apollo 11) two months later.
Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, all landed on the Moon.
Apollo 13 as we all know, looped the Moon and returned after an on board explosion.
 
https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/apollo.html
The Apollo Program (1963 - 1972)
30th Anniversary of Apollo 11 - July, 1999

The Apollo program was designed to land humans on the Moon and bring them safely back to Earth. Six of the missions (Apollos 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17) achieved this goal. Apollos 7 and 9 were Earth orbiting missions to test the Command and Lunar Modules, and did not return lunar data. Apollos 8 and 10 tested various components while orbiting the Moon, and returned photography of the lunar surface. Apollo 13 did not land on the Moon due to a malfunction, but also returned photographs. The six missions that landed on the Moon returned a wealth of scientific data and almost 400 kilograms of lunar samples. Experiments included soil mechanics, meteoroids, seismic, heat flow, lunar ranging, magnetic fields, and solar wind experiments.

Click on the spacecraft name for information about the spacecraft and data held at NSSDCA



Apollo Lunar Missions
Apollo 8
Launched 21 December 1968
Lunar Orbit and Return
Returned to Earth 27 December 1968
Apollo 10
Launched 18 May 1969
Lunar Orbit and Return
Returned to Earth 26 May 1969
Apollo 11
Launched 16 July 1969
Landed on Moon 20 July 1969
Sea of Tranquility
Returned to Earth 24 July 1969
Apollo 12
Launched 14 November 1969
Landed on Moon 19 November 1969
Ocean of Storms
Returned to Earth 24 November 1969
Apollo 13
Launched 11 April 1970
Lunar Flyby and Return
Malfunction forced cancellation of lunar landing
Returned to Earth 17 April 1970
Apollo 14
Launched 31 January 1971
Landed on Moon 5 February 1971
Fra Mauro
Returned to Earth 9 February 1971
Apollo 15
Launched 26 July 1971
Landed on Moon 30 July 1971
Hadley Rille
Returned to Earth 7 August 1971
Apollo 16
Launched 16 April 1972
Landed on Moon 20 April 1972
Descartes
Returned to Earth 27 April 1972
Apollo 17
Launched 07 December 1972
Landed on Moon 11 December 1972
Taurus-Littrow
Returned to Earth 19 December 1972
The Apollo mission consisted of a Command Module (CM) and a Lunar Module (LM). The CM and LM would separate after lunar orbit insertion. One crew member would stay in the CM, which would orbit the Moon, while the other two astronauts would take the LM down to the lunar surface. After exploring the surface, setting up experiments, taking pictures, collecting rock samples, etc., the astronauts would return to the CM for the journey back to Earth.



Apollo Crewed Earth Orbiting Missions
Apollo 7
Launched 11 October 1968
First crewed Apollo flight
Splashdown 22 October 1968
Apollo 9
Launched 03 March 1969
First crewed Lunar Module test
Splashdown 13 March 1969


The Apollo 1 Launch Pad Accident
Apollo 1
27 January 1967
Tragic Loss of Three Apollo Astronauts


Apollo/Saturn Uncrewed Earth Orbiting Missions
SA-5
Launched 29 January 1964
First Block II Saturn launch
SA-6
Launched 28 May 1964
First Apollo boilerplate model
SA-7
Launched 18 September 1964
Apollo boilerplate model
SA-9/Pegasus 1
Launched 16 February 1965
Apollo boilerplate model and micrometeoroid satellite
SA-8/Pegasus 2
Launched 25 May 1965
Apollo boilerplate model and micrometeoroid satellite
SA-10/Pegasus 3
Launched 30 July 1965
Apollo boilerplate model and micrometeoroid satellite
AS-203
Launched 5 July 1966
First S-IVB stage orbital mission
Apollo 4
Launched 9 November 1967
First all-up launch of Saturn V
Apollo 5
Launched 22 January 1968
First test of Lunar Module in space
Apollo 6
Launched 4 April 1968
Final uncrewed Apollo test flight


Apollo/Saturn Uncrewed Suborbital Flights
SA-1
Launched 27 October 1961
First flight of Saturn 1
SA-2
Launched 25 April 1962
Project High Water I
SA-3
Launched 16 November 1962
Project High Water II
SA-4
Launched 28 March 1963
Engine-out capability test
AS-201
Launched 26 February 1966
First flight of Saturn 1B
AS-202
Launched 25 August 1966
Apollo development flight
 
It was an impressive feat. I wouldn't call it mankind's greatest achievement. What did it achieve...putting a man on the Moon?

Again, impressive but I think democracy, the concept of individualism, human rights are greater achievements of mankind. The internet is a greater achievement IMO. The printing press, writing itself, the ability to pass knowledge from generation to generation rather than having to start from scratch.

The disappointment of the Moon program was going from that to nothing but low Earth orbit for the next 50 years.
 
Seattle said:
It was an impressive feat. I wouldn't call it mankind's greatest achievement. What did it achieve...putting a man on the Moon?
Click to expand...
More then putting just putting a man on the Moon. Human kind, finally able to leave his cradle and venture into the Universe.
All other things you mentioned certainly up there as great...harnessing electricity also.
 
Seattle said:
The disappointment of the Moon program was going from that to nothing but low Earth orbit for the next 50 years.
Click to expand...
Yep, agreed. But it is certain we will return and go even further.
I hope I'm around to see the next great achievement in setting foot on Mars.
 
paddoboy said:
You still stuck in dreary old Bali, or back home in sunny Darwin? :p
Click to expand...

Stuck but got a tiny tiny less dreary when Inul current squeeze needs to be away for about week to 10 days and another squeeze will step in to keep me sane

YES they both OK with the arrangement and know about each other

:)
 
paddoboy said:
harnessing electricity also.
Click to expand...
Not much we have today will work without it.
Nice to discuss some reality with regards to the Apollo missions and landing on the Moon, after crossing paths with the fucking nut in the conspiracy section and his craziness. :D
The portable battery from memory is a spin off from the Mercury/Gemini/Apollo missions also. Pretty hard to imagine life without them now also.
Also cameras.
 
I'll nominate another one, which is obviously in conjunction witn Man's return to the Moon, and eventual manned Mars expedition/s.
Exploration, and in recent times, exploration, in conjunction with science and the quest for knowledge, has always been a corner stone of humanity.
My nomination is the Elon Musk inspired "reusable rocket systems"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceX_reusable_launch_system_development_program

The SpaceX reusable launch system development program is a privately funded program to develop a set of new technologies for an orbital launch system that may be reused many times in a manner similar to the reusability of aircraft. SpaceX has been developing the technologies over several years to facilitate full and rapid reusability of space launch vehicles. The project's long-term objectives include returning a launch vehicle first stage to the launch site in minutes and to return a second stage to the launch pad following orbital realignment with the launch site and atmospheric reentry in up to 24 hours. SpaceX's long term goal is that both stages of their orbital launch vehicle will be designed to allow reuse a few hours after return.[1]

The program was publicly announced in 2011. SpaceX first achieved a successful landing and recovery of a first stage in December 2015. The first re-flight of a landed first stage occurred in March 2017[2] with the second occurring in June 2017, that one only five months after the maiden flight of the booster.[3] The third attempt occurred in October 2017 with the SES-11/EchoStar-105 mission. Second flights of refurbished first stages then became routine, with individual boosters having powered up to five missions as of March 2020.

The reusable launch system technology was developed and initially used for the first stage of Falcon 9.[4] After stage separation, the booster flips around, an optional boostback burn is done to reverse its course, a reentry burn, controlling direction to arrive at the landing site and a landing burn to effect the final low-altitude deceleration and touchdown.

SpaceX intended (from at least 2014) to develop technology to extend reusable flight hardware to second stages, a more challenging engineering problem because the vehicle is travelling at orbital velocity.[5][4][6] Second stage reuse is considered paramount to Elon Musk's plans to enable the settlement of Mars. Initial concepts to make the second stage of Falcon 9 reusable have been abandoned.[7]

As of 2020, SpaceX is actively developing the Starship system, with the intent to make it a fully-reusable two-stage launch vehicle, intended to replace all of its existing launch vehicles and spacecraft used for satellite delivery and human transport—Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy and Dragon—and also eventually support flights to the Moon and Mars. In addition it could be used for point-to-point transportation on Earth.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

I for one wish this somewhat eccentric Billionare all the success in the world!
 
Hipparchia said:
Mankind's Greatest Achievement?

Fire (Or language)
But thank you for the memories of Apollo paddoboy.
Click to expand...
No probs! It also brought back some memories for myself, and much of the stuff that was involved. As I mentioned to another who said it as simply putting a man on the Moon, it was far more then that. Man finally leaving his home planet and place of evolution and birth, and the first tentative steps into the universe beyond our fart arse little blue orb!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top