Brianna Forte

Red Group
5/7/14
Moon Landing- One Small Step
One of the most significant and inspiring events in history was the United States
succeeding in putting a man on the moon. Throughout the 1960s the country was working
fervently towards this goal of not only sending a spaceship to the moon, but sending a manned
spaceship to the moon, landing on the moon, and having the crew return back to Earth safely.
However the challenge was hard and it took lots of thought, effort, and people to be able to
address issues such as finding and training people fit for being astronauts, preparing for every
possible situation imaginable, and creating a spacecraft suited for going up into space. But after a
decade of researching, attempts, and revising, the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration achieved the goal of putting a man on the moon, and opened a whole new world
for the scientific world and public alike. On July 20th, 1969 the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration achieved the decade long goal of putting a man on the moon while also inspiring
the world and pushing science forward.
Until the 1960s the general public was not very supportive of space exploration and
thought it couldnt be done. Then on May 25
th
, 1961 President Kennedy addressed Congress and
the Nation and said, 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, (Apollo
Expeditions to the Moon.). The National Aeronautics and Space Administration was funded
through Kennedys governmental program, the New Frontier, and gained public support because
of Kennedys statement. Not only did Kennedy support the expansion of the space program in
the name of science, but he also supported NASA because he was motivated to expand the space


Brianna Forte
Red Group
5/7/14
program in the United States because the Russians were ahead in the space race (Apollo
Expeditions to the Moon.).
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration began working fervently towards
recruiting astronauts, training astronauts, building a suitable spaceship, and preparing for any
possible event. The Apollo program was created to have the first man walk on the moon and then
return him safely to earth ("July 20, 1969: One Giant Leap For Mankind."). Then came the
selection process of astronauts. From the 508 military test pilots, 110 met the minimum standards
for being an astronaut. The 110 were then narrowed down to 32 by being put through physically
and mentally strenuous situations to test their strength and see if they were fit for being an
astronaut (Apollo Expeditions to the Moon.). Three of the astronauts picked in this process were
Neil Armstrong, Edwin Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins. These three astronauts made up the
Apollo 11 crew of commander, lunar module pilot, and command module pilot and were to fly
the Saturn V rocket to the moon. The Saturn V in and of itself was a huge leap in the scientific
community because it provided a model for how spaceships should be built and what
components they should contain (Tate, Karl.).
The first moon landing didnt only provide an example for future exploration, but it also
had a major impact on science, the United States, and technology. During the Apollo 11 mission
Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin collected samples from the moon which were brought back to
earth where, space scientists continued... learning about [the moons] composition, age, and
rocks and about the similarities between the moon and Earth, ("Apollo Anniversary: Moon
Landing 'Inspired World.'"). Not only did the scientific community gain knowledge about the
moon, but the Apollo 11 mission also put a high powered telescope into space. The moon


Brianna Forte
Red Group
5/7/14
landing also put the United States ahead in the space race against Russia and boosted national
pride. The United States, as well as the world, benefited technologically from the Apollo
missions. Tools and resources such as cell phones, cars, watches, computers, and more were
created or improved due to the technological advancements to put the spaceships into space
("Moon landing taught us much about science -- and ourselves.").
One of the most significant events in the United States history was the moon landing that
took place on July 20th, 1969. A whole decade of tedious training, frustrating tests, and mind-
bending problems led up to this monumental event. But as Kennedy said before, it was all worth
it. The Apollo 11 crew and everyone else involved were able to achieve the goal through hard
work and perseverance. No one can yet fully appraise the ultimate benefits from this historic
achievement, (Apollo Expeditions to the Moon.). From cell phones to computers, the world has
become a more advanced and knowledgeable place as a result of the Apollo 11 mission.










Works Cited


Brianna Forte
Red Group
5/7/14
"Apollo Anniversary: Moon Landing 'Inspired World.'" National Geographic News. N.p., n.d.
Web. 6 May 2014.
<http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/07/0714_040714_moonlanding_2.html>
Apollo Expeditions to the Moon. NASA, 13 Feb. 2006. Web. 5 May 2014.
<http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/SP-350/cover.html>.
Armstrong, Neil, and Edwin Aldrin. "Kennedy Space Center Press Conf. on 16 July 1999."
Interview by Lisa Malone. NASA. NASA, n.d. Web. 5 May 2014.
<http://history.nasa.gov/ap11ann/pressconf.htm>.
Armstrong, Niel, Edwin Aldrin, and Micheal Collins. The First Lunar Landing. NASA, 1989.
Digital file.
"July 20, 1969: One Giant Leap For Mankind." NASA. NASA, 19 Sept. 2013. Web. 5 May 2014.
<http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/apollo11_40th.html>.
Moon Landing. NASA, 20 Sept. 2002. Web. 5 May 2014.
<http://history.nasa.gov/ap11ann/introduction.htm>.
"Moon landing taught us much about science -- and ourselves." Las Vegas Review Journal. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 6 May 2014. <http://www.reviewjournal.com/life/moon-landing-taught-us-much-
about-science-and-ourselves>.


Brianna Forte
Red Group
5/7/14
Tate, Karl. "NASA's Mighty Saturn V Moon Rocket Explained (Infographic)." Space.com. N.p.,
9 Nov. 2012. Web. 6 May 2014. <http://www.space.com/18422-apollo-saturn-v-moon-rocket-
nasa-infographic.html>.
United States. Cong. Doc. H7938. Washington: GPO, 1969. Print.