NASA · 1961 — 1972

THE APOLLO PROGRAM

Humanity's first journeys to another world

"We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard." — President John F. Kennedy, September 12, 1962
12 CREWED MISSIONS
6 MOON LANDINGS
12 MOONWALKERS
382 kg LUNAR SAMPLES
~$25B PROGRAM COST
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
  • Perform a crewed lunar landing and return the crew safely to Earth before the end of the 1960s — fulfilling President Kennedy's 1961 national challenge.
  • Demonstrate United States technological leadership in space exploration during the Cold War Space Race with the Soviet Union.
  • Conduct systematic scientific exploration of the lunar surface, collecting samples, deploying instruments, and characterizing the Moon's environment.
  • Develop and validate the rendezvous, docking, life support, and propulsion technologies required for deep-space human missions.
  • Establish operational capabilities and knowledge that would serve as the foundation for future crewed exploration beyond Earth orbit.
PROGRAM CONTEXT

The Apollo program grew directly from the urgency of the Cold War Space Race. The Soviet Union had shocked the world with Sputnik in 1957 and Yuri Gagarin's orbital flight in 1961. President Kennedy responded by committing the United States to reach the Moon within the decade — a goal achieved when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Sea of Tranquility on July 20, 1969.

The program spanned eleven years, consumed roughly 2% of the US federal budget at its peak, and employed over 400,000 engineers, scientists, and technicians. Six successful landings returned 382 kilograms of lunar material and dramatically expanded our understanding of the Moon's formation and the early history of the solar system.

MISSION TIMELINE
Select a mission from the sidebar to explore its 3D flight path, crew, and mission data