Unit 8: Beyond Earth Chapter 28: The Sun-Earth-Moon System     From Earth To Moon "We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things not because they are easy, but because they are hard-because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills." With those words, spoken in 1961, then President John F. Kennedy made clear to the world that the United States intended to be the first country to land a human on the Moon. Today, spacecraft explore the far reaches of the solar system, so it's difficult to imagine the excitement generated by Kennedy's statement. During the 1960s, however, space travel was a bold new concept. In addition, the United States was engaged in the Cold War with the former Soviet Union. For people in both countries, landing a person on the Moon represented far more than a scientific achievement-it was a matter of national pride. The Race for the Moon The dawn of the 1960s found the United States lagging behind the Soviet Union in the race for the Moon. In 1957, the Soviets successfully launched Sputnik, the first artificial satellite. While U.S. spacecraft routinely exploded on the launch pad, Soviet uncrewed spacecraft were reaching the Moon and sending back pictures that transfixed the world. Then, on April 12, 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person to orbit Earth. This accomplishment sparked Kennedy's historic announcement, and the U.S. space program proved up to the challenge. Projects Mercury and Gemini The first step toward landing an astronaut from the United States on the Moon was Project Mercury. Its goals were to launch a piloted spacecraft into orbit around Earth, observe the effects of space on the pilot, and safely recover the pilot and spacecraft. The first of six successful missions launched American Alan B. Shepard, Jr. into space on May 5, 1961. Less than a year later, on February 20, 1962, John Glenn became the first American to orbit Earth. In January 1962, a month before Glenn's historic orbit, the United States announced the development of Project Gemini. Its goals were to bring two orbiting spacecraft together, dock them, and perfect re-entry methods. Virgil "Gus" Grisson and John W. Young accomplished the first of ten crewed Gemini missions on March 23, 1965. The successes of both Projects Mercury and Gemini set the stage for the ultimate goal-sending humans to the Moon and returning them safely. The name of this project was Apollo. LINK UP: For more information on the Apollo mission, visit simulated spaceflight. Project Apollo By 1961, U.S. scientists had already designed the Apollo spacecraft, and they worked feverishly for six years to perfect it. Unbeknownst to them, scientists in the Soviet Union were now lagging behind-the Soviets did not even settle upon a plan for their crewed mission to the Moon until 1967. That same year, the first Apollo mission dashed the hopes of Americans when three astronauts were killed by a fire in the space capsule on the launch pad. Later missions, however, showed conclusively that the Americans were pulling ahead of the Soviets. Apollo 8 astronauts, for example, were the first humans to orbit the Moon. The following year, the ultimate goal was finally reached-on July 20, 1969, the world watched in awe as Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on the Moon's scarred surface. The Apollo program continued until 1972, and a total of 12 astronauts eventually landed on the Moon. The race to the Moon, however, effectively ended with Apollo 11. Considering the myriad accomplishments of the American and Soviet space programs, in many ways, both sides had won. Activity Use the Internet and other materials to research future missions to the Moon. Make a time line that illustrates the goals of each mission, which nation or nations are conducting the mission, and when it will be launched.