Informative Essay: The Apollo Program

Eloquently proposed by John Fitzgerald Kennedy to Congress on May 25, 1961, the Apollo Program, or “Project Apollo,” was the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s third exploratory program and the first project worldwide to attempt the tremendous endeavor putting a man on the moon (Britannica). After sufficient feasibility studying over a five year period, the first flight, unmanned, was launched in 1966. Two years later, the first flight with a trained crew onboard took place (Apollo 7, October 1968). Overall, the 11-year-long project sent 19 different spacecrafts into the atmosphere using multiple launch vehicle designs, including the Little Joe II and the Saturn rocket series. Subsequently, it achieved a fairly

Subsequent generations became convinced that the only way to truly learn was through experience and that this experience was worth not only economic investment to them, but also sometimes the loss of health or life (Barry). Twelve astronauts bet on the uncertainty of safe return and ended up being the first people on the moon. Soon the public was questioning ‘why not me?’ and hoping to be part of something bigger than themselves alone (Spudis). Technologically speaking, it also spurred massive growth. The mission contributed benefits to at least 6,300 other American inventions “that we use on a daily basis such as microwaves, satellites, and computing to air treatment and countless other spinoffs.” Overall, Apollo inspired the up and coming “generation of innovators, technologists, mathematicians, dreamers, scientists and engineers.” Experts go so far to that, “it [the Moon Landing] confirmed that, if you could dream it, arouse it, campaign it, and finance it, almost anything could be accomplished” (The Continued Socioeconomic Impact…). Notwithstanding the severe criticism due to excessive spending during a time that most categorized as peace (Gisler and Sornette, Bubbles in Society), Project Apollo was absolutely worth the investments that went into