- Promise
On July 20th, 1969 astronaut Neil Armstrong accomplished on of the most amazing feats of human ingenuity; he set foot on the moon. The World watched and waited as he began he decent down the ladder and onto the untouched surface.
It was 8 years previous to this extraordinary situation, that President Kennedy set a challenge to the great minds of the country. In 1961, he made the promise to land a man on the moon by the end of the decade, a feat not taken lightly by NASA, requiring great leaps in unbelievable technology.
- The Apollos
In the years leading up to the 1969 moon landing, several tests had to be launched to perfect the technology to carry men to the surface of the moon. These tests are referred to as the Apollo Program, which launched 12 missions between 1961-1975.
Apollo 8 and 10 are two of the most notable, having not only flown the distance to the moon, but they orbited and returned to Earth. It was after the success of Apollo 10, that Apollo 11 was launched. The first U.S. mission to land a man on the moon reached lunar orbit July 19th, 1969. It was during this mission that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin spent 21 hours on the moon, collecting valuable data and taking several photos of the topography. Thousands watched the American flag fly over the moon, as the earth orbited above, and as the iconic steps were taken.
- The Conspiracy
Differant theories throughout time have claimed that the landing entirely, or parts of the Apollo program and NASA's involvement in it, were fake. Conspiracisits argue that NASA knowingly misled the public with tampered evidence and photos.
Several polls reveal that as many as 6 to 28% of surveyed individuals belive that the landings were a complete hoax.
Multiple questions have been raised about the of the moon landing. Though most have been answered, a few still continue to reign in the minds of any.
1) When the astronauts are putting up the American flag it waves. There is no wind on the Moon.
This is due simply to the vibrations of the pole as it is unfurled and set into place into the ground, giving the flag the appearance of billowing in the wind.
2) No stars are visible in the pictures taken by the Apollo astronauts from the surface of the Moon.
The moon landing and filming took place suring a "lunar morning", making the shun shine bright, and the stars far too dull to see.
Though the conspiracies and questions are interesting to entertain, they undermine the pure ingenuity of the human race, and its ability to 'reach for the stars' and beyond.
Sources:
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/F_Apollo_35th_Anniversary.html
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2001/ast23feb_2/
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