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Wernher Von Braun popularizes idea of men on the moon!
On the headline of "The Huntsville Times" it was published that Von Braun believed it was possible for humans to make it to space, this began the initial popularity of this idea. -
Eisenhower in office!
Eisenhower's presidency was when the Apollo program originated -
Sputnik is launched: Sparks ideas in the US
Von Braun is inspired by the launch of Sputnik to promote a plan for the US army to establish a lunar base by 1965. -
Yuri Gagarin's Flight
After Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes the first man in space, President Kennedy looked for an American project that would prove US world leadership. -
President John Kennedy's announcement to Congress
“I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth.” (John Kennedy). This was the beginning of the Americans striving to go to the moon. -
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Johnson becomes President!
Lyndon Johnson becomes president and continues to defend Kennedy's idea for the Apollo program. -
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Kennedy and Johnson swing public opinion
Kennedy and Johnson swung the public opinion by 1965, by playing to the fact that the Soviets would appear dominant if the United States was not to carry out the Apollo program. Support in 1965 was 58%, up from 33% in 1963. -
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Saturn V was developed and launched
The Saturn V booster was a breakthrough in space technology, and the technology for the Apollo 11 rocket was modeled after the Saturn V. It was a launch vehicle, and it's rate of zero failures in thirteen launches secured its selection for the apollo mission. -
Projected launch date of Apollo 1
The Apollo 1 mission was unsuccessful. There was a cabin fire during a launch pad test on January 27th that killed the entire crew. -
Apollo 7 is launched
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Apollo 8 is launched
Apollo 8 was the second crewed mission in the Apollo Space Program. It became the first human-crewed spacecraft to leave the earth's orbit. This was a milestone for space travel and a huge step towards men walking on the moon. -
Apollo 9 is launched
Apollo 9 was the third manned mission of the Apollo Space Program. It was very helpful in working towards the goal of men on the moon. The mission included testing of the engines and docking of the Lunar Module, and spacewalks. -
Apollo 10
Apollo 10 was a dry run for the Apollo 11 mission which was supposed to put men on the moon. It tested all the procedures of Apollo 11, without actually landing on the moon. -
Apollo 11 lands!
As hoped for, the Apollo 11 mission was successful in bringing men to the moon. At 8:18pm on July 20th, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men on the moon. America had staked its claim and as Kennedy pushed for, we were superior to Russia. -
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Information from Apollo 11 provides advancements
While on the moon, the astronauts performed experiments to determine the compositiont of the Lunar soil and the solar wind. By analyzing samples of moon rock it was determined that much of the composition of the moon is similar to that of Earth. The first close up photographs of the Lunar surface were taken, which provided us with a greater understanding of the moon and its features. Still today, all of what Apollo 11 accomplished gives us hope and a springboard for more scientific exploration.
