The New Curiosity Shop

[caption id="attachment_243" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

What a way to celebrate 40 years since Apollo 11 landed on the Moon! The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has been passing over the old Apollo landing sites and has sent back images in which you can just make out the descent stages of the old lunar modules.

The Apollo 11 Lunar Module Descent Stage

Activity at the Apollo 14 landing site

For full details about these images and higher resolution pictures, visit the LRO site.

… today, forty years ago. On 20th July 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first human being to set foot on another planet. How will you celebrate today?

Neil Armstrong (courtesy of NASA, Andrew Chaikin)

New Scientist has compiled a top ten of Apollo music for your 40th anniversary party. Or why not delve into the history with the NCS course The Story Of Apollo?

After 40 years the achievement is still staggering and seems to be nearly impossible. Let’s celebrate Armstrong, Aldrin, Collins and all of the NASA support team who made the trip possible.

40 years ago, today, the Saturn V rocket carrying Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins was launched. This event marked the beginning of mankind’s greatest journey and would see John F Kennedy’s pledge completed and a man landed on the Moon and returned safely to Earth.

At 9.32 (local time) on the morning of 16th July 1969, the huge Saturn V rocket lifted clear of the launch pad and Apollo 11 was safely on its way. In twelve minutes the third stage of the rocket, with the Apollo spacecraft attached, was in orbit around the Earth. After one and a half orbits, the third stage rockets fired and Apollo 11 was on its way to the Moon.

Follow The Story Of Apollo with the New Curiosity Shop.Thank you to NASA for the images.

Apollo 10 is 40 today.

40 years ago today, Apollo 10 was launched into space. Commanded by Thomas P Stafford, this was the last pathfinder mission before Apollo 11 would land on the Moon two months later. This was a complete Apollo spacecraft with a command-service module called Charlie Brown flown by John W Young, and a lunar module called Snoopy flown by Eugene A Cernan. Gene Cernan was later to be the last man on the Moon when he commanded Apollo 17 and John Young would be the first shuttle commander.

Apollo 10 went to orbit the Moon where the astronauts tested the docking systems and flight characteristics of the lunar module. Lunar module Snoopy was flown down to an altitude of 15.6 km on 22nd May 1969. All the systems checked out and the go-ahead was given for Apollo 11 to make the first moon landing.

Apollo 10 returned safely to Earth on 26th May 1969, setting the speed record for a manned vehicle at 39,897 km/hr, unbroken to this day.

You can read more about the Apollo missions at NASA’s 40th anniversary site.