Space Exploration: Motivation For Apollo Missions

Space Exploration: Apollo Missions
The motivation that led to the Apollo Program was to place a man on the moon and then return him safely home. The Apollo Space program began under the Eisenhower administration and the goal to place a man on the moon was accomplished under the Kennedy administration. The accomplishment of placing a man on the moon and bringing him safely home provided significant discoveries. Information and evidence was gathered about the early history of the moon and what the moon itself was made of. Information was also gathered about magnetic fields, heat flow, volcanism, and seismic activity (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 2016). A lunar rock sample was returned to earth which weighed approximately 900 pounds. In all there were 17 Apollo missions and six lunar landings. The success of the Apollo program relied upon the previous work that had been done under the Eisenhower administration when only one astronaut was able to go into space and wasn’t able to go to the moon.
Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition. 1, Apr. 2016