A giant leap toward understanding the Moon

Our next-door neighbor began to reveal many of its secrets 4 decades ago when astronauts first ventured beyond the control of Earth’s gravity.

By Richard Talcott

Published: January 24, 2011

Earth's Moon. Nikos Haralampidis

Half a century ago, President John Kennedy challenged the country to land a man on the Moon — and return him safely to Earth — by the end of the 1960s. It took only 8 years to achieve his vision. In all, 24 astronauts journeyed to the Moon in nine flights (three people flew two missions each), and six pairs of astronauts explored the lunar surface.

Subscriber-Only Content

You are currently not logged in. This article is only available to Astronomy magazine subscribers.

Already a subscriber to Astronomy magazine?

If you are already a subscriber to Astronomy magazine you must log into your account to view this article. If you do not have an account you will need to regsiter for one. Registration is FREE and only takes a couple minutes.

Non-subscribers, Subscribe TODAY and save!

Get instant access to subscriber content on Astronomy.com!

Access our interactive Atlas of the Stars
Get full access to StarDome PLUS
Columnist articles
Search and view our equipment review archive
Receive full access to our Ask Astro answers
BONUS web extras not included in the magazine
Much more!

	Mercury	Mercury	Venus	Venus
RISE	—		—
SET	—		—
		—		—