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Apollo Program

NASA's Apollo Program consisted of 17 missions in the 1960s and 1970s to send the first humans to the moon. The program used the mighty Saturn V rocket to launch three astronauts on Apollo spacecraft. Later missions included a Lunar Module for moon landings. It was NASA's Apollo 11 mission in 1969 that landed the first astronauts on the moon (Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin) while a third (Michael Collins) remained in orbit. NASA's final Apollo moon mission was Apollo 17 in 1972. Apollo spacecraft also flew astronauts to NASA's Skylab space station, with the final Apollo capsule used in the historic Apollo-Soyuz docking mission with the Soviet Union in 1975. Take a look back at NASA's Apollo history here!

Related Topics: The Moon, NASA

Latest Updates

Lego's NASA Apollo Saturn V Is Still 20% Off!

By Tariq Malik last updated 9 December 19

NASA's Apollo 11 moon landing celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, and Lego set the stage with this epic Saturn V moon rocket set, which is on sale now for 20% off via the Lego online store.

Expedition 61 crewmates Jessica Meir (left) and Christina Koch of NASA reveal an Astronaut Snoopy doll on the International Space Station during the 2019 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Astronaut Snoopy Floats on Space Station, Flies in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

By Robert Z. Pearlman last updated 29 November 19

Snoopy, "the world famous astronaut," has reached new heights — above the streets of New York City and aboard the International Space Station.

Astronaut Snoopy lifts off for a test flight prior to the 93rd Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. A forecast for strong winds threatens to ground the NASA-inspired balloon.

Astronaut Snoopy to Fly in Macy's 2019 Thanksgiving Day Parade, Pending Winds

By Robert Z. Pearlman published 27 November 19

Astronaut Snoopy is ready to fly, but like past spacesuited explorers, the weather may scrub his launch.

NASA's Apollo 12 astronauts Charles Pete Conrad (left), Richard Gordon (center) and Alan Bean smile in an isolation room after returning from the moon on Nov. 24, 1969.

Happy Anniversary, Apollo 12! 'Pinpoint' Moon Mission Returned Home 50 Years Ago Today

By Mike Wall published 24 November 19

Fifty years ago today (Nov. 24), NASA's second set of moonwalkers wrapped up their historic mission.

Apollo 12 moonwalkers Charles "Pete" Conrad (pictured) and Alan Bean retrieved parts from the Surveyor 3 spacecraft, which was in walking distance of their lunar module, Intrepid.

50 Years On, Where Are the Surveyor 3 Moon Probe Parts Retrieved by Apollo 12?

By Robert Z. Pearlman published 23 November 19

Astronaut Pete Conrad examines the camera on Surveyor 3, with the Apollo 12 spacecraft in the background.

Truth of the Moon: The Brave Voyage of Apollo 12 | Video Show

By Space.com Staff published 23 November 19

Pete Conrad and Alan Bean make a jolly, blind, pinpoint lunar landing and grab rock samples revealing the Moon's strange birth.

After returning from the moon, Apollo astronaut Al Worden visited Fred Rogers on the set of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood."

That Time Apollo Astronaut Al Worden Landed in 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'

By Chelsea Gohd last updated 22 November 19

In 1971, Al Worden landed on the moon, carrying a letter from Mr. Rogers with him.

50 Years Ago, Apollo 12 Astronauts Walked on the Moon. They Had the Funniest Crew

By Chelsea Gohd published 19 November 19

Apollo 11 may have made history as the first mission to land humans on the moon, but Apollo 12 had the funniest crew.

The Apollo 11 crew, led by Neil Armstrong (Henry Pettigrew), meets Queen Elizabeth II (Olivia Colman) at Buckingham Palace following the astronauts' return from the 1969 moon landing mission in a third season episode of the historical drama series "The Crown."

Apollo 11 First Moon Landing Receives Royal Treatment in 'The Crown'

By Robert Z. Pearlman published 18 November 19

NASA's Apollo 11 mission lands its own episode in the new season of "The Crown."

Space Center Houston's new Galaxy Lights, presented by Reliant, features projections that bring NASA's Saturn V rocket to life, as a part of the most advanced light display in Texas.

Space Center Houston Sets Saturn V Rocket Aglow With 'Galaxy Lights'

By Robert Z. Pearlman published 16 November 19

It's a holiday display that's out of this world.

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station dressed as Apollo flight controllers on Nov. 14, 2019, to pay tribute to the teams that made the second moon landing mission possible 50 years ago.

Astronauts on Space Station Pay Tribute to Apollo 12's 50th Anniversary

By Robert Z. Pearlman last updated 15 November 19

The astronauts on the International Space Station paid tribute to the second mission to land humans on the moon 50 years to the day after the Apollo 12 crew launched.

This image shows a lightning bolt hitting the mobile launch tower at Pad A, Launch Complex 39, at Kennedy Space Center during the launch of the Apollo 12. Lightning struck the Apollo 12 rocket twice, first at about 36.5 seconds after lift-off and again at 52 seconds. Nov. 14, 1969.

50 Years Ago: NASA's Apollo 12 Was Struck By Lightning Right After Launch ... Twice! (Video)

By Chelsea Gohd last updated 19 November 19

Seconds after Apollo 12 launched, it was struck by lightning twice.

Surveyor 3 gets a visit from the Apollo 12 crew in 1969.

Celebrate NASA's Apollo 12 50th Launch Anniversary with Special Webcasts

By Elizabeth Howell last updated 14 November 19

The 50th anniversary of humanity's second moon mission is today (Nov. 14), and NASA has several livestreamed events celebrating the milestone.

Astronaut Alan L. Bean, Apollo 12, walks on the Moon's surface. Commander Charles Conrad Jr. is reflected in Bean's helmet visor.

Apollo 12: How a Passionate Scientist's Keen Eye Led to the First Pinpoint Moon Landing 50 Years Ago

By Timothy Swindle published 14 November 19

When Apollo 11 landed on the Moon, it was a giant leap for mankind and a huge success for American engineering, but there was one aspect of the mission that hadn’t really gone as planned.

Apollo sample processors Andrea Mosie (left), Charis Krysher and Juliane Gross unseal Apollo 17 previously-untouched lunar sample 73002 inside a science glovebox at Johnson Space Center's Lunar Curation Laboratory in Houston on Nov. 5, 2019.

NASA Opens Untouched Apollo Moon Rock Sample for First Time in 40 Years

By Robert Z. Pearlman published 7 November 19

NASA has opened one of its last pristine samples of Apollo moon rock to prepare for the return of new material by future lunar missions.

In Ronald D. Moore's "For All Mankind," NASA diverges from reality even before the Soviets land a man on the moon.

Beyond the Red Moon: Apple TV+ Changes NASA History in 'For All Mankind'

By Robert Z. Pearlman published 1 November 19

When the Soviet Union beats the United States to landing the first human on the moon, it changes the course of the space race in the new Apple TV+ series "For All Mankind."

NASA's Apollo missions to the moon play out differently in the wake of a Soviet lunar landing in the new Ronald D. Moore series "For All Mankind," debuting Nov. 1 on the Apple TV+ service.

'For All Mankind' to Launch Alternate Space Race on Apple TV+

By Robert Z. Pearlman last updated 31 October 19

"This series is an alternate history." So begins the disclaimer at the end of each episode of "For All Mankind," a space race drama debuting with Apple TV+.