Part B
Explorers on the Moon
Although visited by numerous unmanned spacecraft and intensely studied via telescope, only a handful humans have set foot upon Earth's moon during NASA's Apollo program. The more than 800 pounds of rock samples collected during the Apollo landings have been critical to our knowledge of the nature and origin of the Moon. NASA plans on returning astronauts to the Mo on sometime in the 2020's.
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Figure 8-3. Human exploration of the Moon, both fictional and real. At left, Hergé's Explorers on the Moon was published in 1954 and had Tintin as the first human to set foot on the Moon. |
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The Apollo Program
When you want to explore the history of the Apollo Program, there are a number of web sites worth a look. The Wikipedia's Apollo Program web page is one that provides a fairly comprehensive overall description of many facets of the Apollo program.Let's begin by looking at the Apollo Program web page to answer Quiz Me! questions B11 through B15.
The Apollo Missions
Answer Quiz Me! questions B16 through B25 about the Apollo program by referring to the National Air and Space Museum's Apollo Program website. From the main Apollo Program page, click on "Missions" in the menu bar. Once on the Missions page, view information about the missions by choosing the appropriate link from the list at left.
Lunar Rover
From the main Apollo Program page, click on "Spacecraft & Vehicles" in the menu bar. Once on the Missions page, view information about the lunar rover by choosing the "Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV)" link from the list at left.