On the 20th of July 1969, a historic event unfolded as the Lunar Module of the Apollo 11 mission made its remarkable landing on the moon’s surface. Two intrepid astronauts, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, were aboard this spacecraft. Upon successfully landing, Neil Armstrong embarked on a momentous task – opening the lunar module’s door to set foot on the moon’s surface. This seemingly simple act proved to be quite a challenge due to the high pressure, but after some effort, Armstrong managed to pry the door open.
However, as he attempted to make his way down to the lunar surface, the cramped exit led to an inadvertent mishap. Armstrong’s spacesuit collided with the module’s top, resulting in a crucial piece of the lunar module breaking off. The astronauts remained oblivious to this development due to the moon’s lack of atmosphere, which meant that sounds couldn’t travel, rendering them unable to hear the damage caused.
Now, the significance of this broken piece cannot be understated. It happened to be the Ascent Engine Arming Switch. Without this crucial component, the Lunar Module wouldn’t be able to return to Earth, leaving Armstrong and Aldrin stranded on the moon.
Undeterred by this mishap, Neil Armstrong proceeded to become the very first human to set foot on the moon, famously declaring, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” This iconic moment marked a pivotal achievement in human history.
But here’s where things take an intriguing turn. Even today, more than half a century later, there are individuals who refuse to accept that the Apollo 11 mission was a genuine accomplishment. These skeptics contend that it was an elaborate hoax staged by the United States, filmed on Earth, and disseminated as a false narrative to the world.
To bolster their arguments, they point to seemingly baffling anomalies, such as the sight of the American flag appearing to flutter in the airless lunar environment. The question then arises: What is the truth behind these claims? In this Chapter, we endeavor to unravel this fascinating tale.
The genesis of the Apollo 11 mission is closely tied to a larger context – the Cold War, a protracted struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union. This battle extended into the realm of space exploration, with both nations engaged in a fervent Space Race. In 1957, the Soviet Union made a pivotal leap by launching Sputnik, the first artificial satellite, into Earth’s orbit. The United States, taken aback by this Soviet accomplishment, swiftly followed suit with its satellite launch in 1958.
In 1961, the Soviets delivered yet another surprise when Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to journey into space. This milestone further reinforced the Soviet Union’s lead in the Space Race. In response, U.S. President John F. Kennedy issued a resounding challenge to his nation. In a speech dated 25th May 1961, he pledged to send humans to the moon and return them safely to Earth before the decade’s end.
This audacious commitment, made at a time when technology was far less advanced, represented a monumental undertaking. Over the next five years, President Kennedy allocated substantial funds, amounting to $7-$9 billion, to the space program. The entire endeavor was dedicated to realizing this ambitious lunar goal.
The quest began with a series of rigorous tests, commencing with trials of the powerful rockets that would propel astronauts beyond Earth’s orbit. Trials of the heat shields for the command modules were conducted to gauge their ability to withstand the intense reentry heat. Propulsion systems for the service module were meticulously examined. Additionally, several unmanned missions, including Apollo 4, Apollo 5, and Apollo 6, were executed for further testing.
Despite a tragic setback when the Apollo 1 mission ended in a cabin fire in January 1967, claiming the lives of three astronauts, NASA continued undeterred. Subsequent missions included the successful Apollo 7 in October 1968, the lunar orbit mission of Apollo 8 in December 1968, and the crucial testing of the lunar module during the Apollo 9 mission in March 1969. Two months later, in May 1969, Apollo 10 rehearsed almost all the actions to be executed during Apollo 11, except for the actual moon landing.
This relentless sequence of missions, with NASA launching a new one every few months, underscored their unwavering commitment to the lunar endeavor. All the meticulous testing and preparation culminated on the 16th of July 1969 when the Apollo 11 mission was launched, bearing three brave astronauts on its historic voyage.
“Commander Neil Armstrong, at 38 years old, was at the helm of this monumental mission, leading the way. Alongside him were two remarkable astronauts: Michael Collins, who piloted the Command Module, and Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin, the pilot of the Lunar Module. These names are etched into the annals of history, with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin becoming household names worldwide. However, Michael Collins is not as widely recognized, and the reason behind this is quite intriguing, which I’ll reveal later in this chapter.
The Apollo 11 spacecraft was composed of three essential components: the Command Module, the Service Module, and the Lunar Module. The first two were collectively referred to as the Command and Service Module (CSM). The objective was to separate the Lunar Module and enable it to land on the moon. After the lunar mission, the Lunar Module had to be relaunched and reconnected to the CSM for the astronauts’ return journey to Earth. To launch this remarkable spacecraft into space, the powerful Saturn V-5 rocket was employed.
Before liftoff, the rocket was loaded with an astonishing 1 million gallons of Kerosene, Liquid Oxygen, and Liquid Hydrogen. The weight of this colossal rocket was an astounding 3 million kilograms. It took less than 10 minutes for this mighty rocket to propel the spacecraft into Earth’s orbit. Subsequently, the astronauts completed approximately 1.5 orbits around Earth. After this, the mission control on Earth, responsible for overseeing the mission, gave them the green light to commence the Trans-Lunar Injection – the critical maneuver to propel the spacecraft out of Earth’s orbit and toward the moon’s orbit. The third stage of the Saturn V-5 rocket was employed to achieve this pivotal step, and all of this unfolded within just five hours of the initial launch.
However, the actual journey to reach the moon took several days, during which the astronauts resided within the spacecraft. They ate, slept, and even documented their experiences and surroundings through photographs. Finally, on the 19th of July 1969, after covering a distance of nearly 400,000 kilometers, the Apollo 11 spacecraft arrived in lunar orbit.
Upon reaching lunar orbit, a momentous event was slated to occur – the separation of the spacecraft into two distinct modules. The Command and Service Module, nicknamed ‘Columbia,’ retained its position in lunar orbit, with Michael Collins aboard. In contrast, the Lunar Module, affectionately known as ‘Eagle,’ was designated for landing on the moon, carrying Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. Importantly, the decision meant that only Armstrong and Aldrin would have the opportunity to set foot on the moon, and not Michael Collins. Perhaps this explains why Michael Collins is not as well-known, despite his pivotal role in the Apollo mission. Despite not stepping on the moon’s surface, Collins played arguably the most crucial part of the mission because the Lunar Module needed to rejoin the CSM for the safe return of the astronauts to Earth.
At 8 PM, the Lunar Module was scheduled to commence its descent to the moon. However, at precisely 8:10 PM, alarms began to sound, signaling ‘1201’ and ‘1202’ errors. Neither Armstrong nor Aldrin initially understood the significance of these alarms and promptly contacted mission control for guidance. The response from mission control was to proceed with the mission, reassuring the astronauts by saying, “We’re GO.” It was later determined that the ‘1202’ alarm indicated that the guidance computer’s processing system was overloaded. Thankfully, the computer had been ingeniously designed to prioritize critical mission programs, ensuring that they would continue functioning despite the overload. Among these critical programs was the automatic landing system, which would facilitate the Lunar Module’s touchdown on the lunar surface.
Yet, when the Lunar Module descended to a mere 150 meters above the moon’s surface, Neil Armstrong made the momentous decision to assume manual control. He had noticed that the planned landing area was riddled with large boulders, necessitating an immediate change in landing location. The landing site was shifted to an alternative spot situated four miles away from the original target. At 8:16 PM, Buzz Aldrin closely monitored the fuel gauge and discovered that only 5% of the fuel supply remained. The mission control initiated a countdown, ultimately deciding whether to proceed with the landing or abort the mission. Armstrong sent a radio message to Earth with only 30 seconds remaining in this critical countdown, proclaiming, ‘Roger, Tranquility.’ With a mere 30 seconds left, the Eagle successfully touched down on the lunar surface. This historic moment was broadcast and witnessed by an astounding 650 million people worldwide.
After the landing, Neil Armstrong donned his spacesuit, exited the Lunar Module, and took his monumental first step on the moon. His words, ‘That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,’ were beamed to an audience of millions. Buzz Aldrin followed suit, and together, they spent the next 2.5 hours conducting experiments, collecting moon dust and rock samples, taking photographs, and setting up scientific instruments.
Although the backdrop of the Cold War was a significant factor in the moon landing, it’s important to note that the mission had profound scientific objectives. The astronauts deployed a television camera on the moon to transmit signals to Earth, measured solar winds reaching the moon, initiated laser beams to gauge Earth-moon distance, placed a passive seismometer to monitor moonquakes, and collected a remarkable 23 kilograms of lunar rock and dust. Additionally, they left behind an American flag and a plaque with the inscription, ‘Here, Men from the Planet Earth, First set foot upon the Moon. July 1969 A.D.’
The Lunar Module had to remain on the moon for 21 hours before being relaunched and reconnected to the CSM. However, upon returning to the Lunar Module, Armstrong and Aldrin encountered a significant problem – the switch to activate the engine had broken off when they had disembarked. This issue was mentioned at the start of the chapter. Realizing the situation, they promptly informed mission control and began working on a solution.
Their solution was ingenious and relied on understanding the function of a switch. In essence, a switch serves to complete an electrical circuit. Buzz Aldrin noticed that if they could create a connection to reestablish the circuit, the engine could be reignited. Searching for a suitable tool, he spotted his ballpoint pen. They used the pen to restore the connection and successfully reignited the engine.
With the Lunar Module’s engine functioning, it was ready to be reconnected to the Command and Service Module. This vital step was necessary for Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins to return safely to Earth.
The three astronauts initiated the spacecraft’s journey back towards Earth. The plan for their Earth re-entry was straightforward: separate the Command Module and the Service Module, and let the Service Module disintegrate in Earth’s atmosphere. However, there was a significant concern. If the Service Module suffered severe damage, its debris could pose a collision risk to the Command Module, potentially resulting in the death of the astronauts onboard. To mitigate this risk, NASA equipped the Service Module with thrusters to propel it far away from the Command Module, ensuring that they wouldn’t collide.
But as the astronauts began their return to Earth, they discovered that the thrusters on the Service Module were malfunctioning. Consequently, they had to remain in the Command Module while witnessing the Service Module breaking apart and its debris floating perilously close. It was a miraculous turn of events that none of the debris collided with the Command Module, ensuring the astronauts’ safety. The perilous nature of the mission was such that then-U.S. President Nixon had a contingency speech prepared in case the astronauts didn’t survive. This alternate speech contemplated the possibility that Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin wouldn’t return from the moon. Fortunately, this speech was never needed, as the Command Module successfully re-entered Earth’s atmosphere. Parachutes were deployed, and the Command Module safely landed in the ocean. All three astronauts were alive and unharmed, with rescue ships evacuating them from the ocean. Their return was truly a remarkable achievement, considering the numerous challenges they faced throughout the mission.
After their return, the three astronauts were placed in quarantine for two weeks, during which they were not allowed contact with other humans due to concerns about potential pathogens, viruses, or bacteria they might have encountered on the moon. Fortunately, there were no health complications resulting from this quarantine.
Apollo 11’s successful moon landing became headline news in newspapers around the world. U.S. President Kennedy’s promise to have humans reach the moon before the end of the decade had been realized, thanks to NASA’s remarkable efforts.
Although some conspiracy theories have suggested that the moon landing was a hoax, these claims have been thoroughly debunked. Notably, the Soviet Union, a major competitor in the space race, acknowledged the moon landing’s authenticity in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia. The encyclopedia, published between 1970 and 1979, referenced the moon landing multiple times as a factual event. In fact, Soviet articles recognized the Apollo landing as the third historic event of the space age, following the launch of Sputnik in 1957 and Yuri Gagarin’s flight in 1961.
Some conspiracy theories have focused on specific aspects of the moon landing, such as the appearance of the American flag, the lack of stars in photos, the perceived inconsistencies in shadow angles, and questions about the cameras used. However, these issues have logical explanations. The appearance of the flag on the moon is attributed to the design of a horizontal rod to keep it extended, and its apparent fluttering is due to the flag’s unique design and movement caused by the astronauts. The absence of stars in photos is explained by the fact that the moon landing occurred during daylight hours when sunlight illuminated the lunar surface and the astronauts’ reflective spacesuits. The perceived shadow inconsistencies are attributed to the scattering of light from both the Sun and the moon’s surface, as well as the limitations of the cameras used.
It’s important to distinguish between unfounded conspiracy theories and legitimate criticisms. While the moon landing faced its share of criticism, it was a monumental achievement, and the scientific and historical consensus supports its authenticity.
In January 1962, the New York Times published an article that brought into question the vast sums of money allocated for the moon mission. The article pointed out that the resources being invested in lunar exploration could have been used to establish approximately 120 universities the size of Harvard. It posed a critical inquiry: Should such a significant financial commitment be made to reach the moon, or would it be more prudent to establish Harvard-sized universities in every state in the United States? The central criticism revolved around whether this massive financial allocation was justified when the nation faced numerous pressing issues, such as education, income inequality, and the repercussions of the Vietnam War.
Yet, unbeknownst to many at the time, the moon landing held hidden benefits that extended far beyond the lunar surface. One such benefit was the advancement of computer chip technology. In the early 1960s, three years after the invention of microchips, IBM had decided against incorporating them into their computers. However, NASA’s substantial orders for integrated circuits prompted IBM to reconsider, which subsequently led to a more than 90% price reduction over the following five years. The rigorous testing of computer chips for the Apollo program demonstrated their reliability for critical functions, laying the foundation for their widespread use in various applications.
The technological leaps resulting from the moon landing were exponential. It proved that computers, relying on integrated circuits, could safely transport astronauts to the moon and back, reinforcing confidence in this technology for everyday life.
Nonetheless, only three years after the historic Apollo 11 mission, in December 1972, Apollo 17 marked the final moon mission. In the nearly 50 years since then, no human has returned to the lunar surface. This prolonged absence serves as a testament to the immense expense of the Apollo program. With more than 400,000 engineers, scientists, and technicians involved, the total cost at the time was $24 billion, equivalent to over $100 billion in today’s currency.
Initially, criticism was primarily confined to journalists, but as the average person’s fascination with NASA and the moon waned, it became evident that a reallocation of funds was required. This shift in public sentiment was in part due to the continuing Vietnam War and the rising challenges faced by the American populace. The expense of space programs was increasingly perceived as a misallocation of resources, and political leaders were compelled to listen to the concerns of their constituents.
In December 2017, former President Donald Trump initially voiced a plan to increase funding for a lunar return mission by 2024. However, he later modified this stance, advocating for NASA to prioritize a Mars mission. Nevertheless, after almost five decades, NASA has revitalized its commitment to lunar exploration with the Artemis program. They plan to begin with unmanned rocket testing and have set a goal to send the first woman to the moon by 2025-2026. Subsequently, they aim to send the first person of color to the lunar surface as well.
One thing remains certain: the return of humans to the moon is anticipated before the decade’s end, rekindling our exploration of Earth’s celestial neighbor.
