The Complete List of Apollo Missions to the Moon: From Apollo 1 to Apollo 20

Ever wondered how many Apollo missions NASA sent to the Moon? The answer is nine, including both manned and unmanned flights. Let's dive into the detail of each mission and understand why certain missions were unsuccessful or canceled.

Overview of Apollo Missions

NASA's Apollo program saw a total of nine manned missions to the Moon between 1968 and 1972. Of these, six resulted in successful lunar landings, while three failed to reach the surface of the Moon. The Apollo missions were part of the broader effort by NASA to achieve detailed exploration and scientific investigation of the Moon.

List of Apollo Missions

Test Flights

Before the actual lunar landings, several Apollo flights were used to test spacecraft systems and procedures:

Apollo 1: A test flight to simulate a launch. Unfortunately, the crew died during a training exercise. Apollo 4 5: Unmanned launches to test Saturn boosters and command modules. Apollo 6: Another unmanned test flight with the Saturn V rocket, but experienced engine malfunctions. Apollo 7 8: Early manned flights that were not lunar missions. Apollo 8 was the first to orbit the Moon without landing. Apollo 10: A dress rehearsal for a Moon landing, which orbited the Moon but did not actually land.

Successful Lunar Landings

The following missions successfully landed on the Moon:

Apollo 11: The first crewed lunar landing in 1969, with astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin becoming the first humans to walk on the Moon. Apollo 12: The second landing, carried out in 1969 by astronauts Charles "Pete" Conrad and Alan Bean. Apollo 14: The third landing in 1971, with astronauts Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell completing the landing. Apollo 15: The fourth landing in 1971, featuring the first use of the Lunar Roving Vehicle. Apollo 16: The fifth landing in 1972, with astronauts John Young and Charles Duke exploring the lunar surface. Apollo 17: The sixth and final landing in 1972, with astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison "Jack" Schmitt.

Unsuccessful or Cancelled Missions

Several Apollo missions faced various issues or were canceled for different reasons:

Apollo 13: A failed landing mission due to a critical onboard explosion. While the astronauts narrowly returned to Earth, the mission ended in failure. Apollo 18, 19, 20: These missions were canceled due to budget constraints and other priorities.

Key Facts and Statistics

Here are some key details about the Apollo missions:

A total of 12 astronauts walked on the Moon during these six successful landings. Apollo 13 attempted a landing but was unable to proceed due to an onboard explosion, leading to a mission abort. Each successful landing involved two astronauts, with multiple missions having a clean sweep of six separate landings.

Conclusion

The Apollo missions represent a significant achievement in human space exploration. Despite facing challenges and some failures, NASA succeeded in landing six missions on the Moon, greatly enhancing our understanding of the lunar surface and paving the way for future space exploration. For more detailed information about each mission, visit the NASA page.

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