The Apollo 13 Disaster That Was Not A Tragedy
It also turned out to be a great movie.
Many of us remember the movie Apollo 13. It was a great movie staring Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Ed Harris, and Gary Sinise. The movie of course is based off of the true story of the Apollo 13. The Apollo 13 was a disaster in that the mission had to be orbited because of a ruptured oxygen tank. However, the Apollo 13 was certainly not a tragedy because there was no loss of life as all 3 crew members made it back to earth alive.
Since man had already been on the moon - the Apollo 13 was a mission that received little fan fare. Of course the families and friends of the crew were very excited and nervous for the expedition, the country as a whole had moved on to other interests. However, as the drama and seriousness of the situation played out on live television, the country quickly took interest.
So while this mission initially was uneventful, it turned out to be one of the most talked about events of 1970. The crew, which comprised of James "Jim" Arthur Lovell, Jr., John Leonard 'Jack' Swigert, Jr, and Fred Wallace Haise, Jr. was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The Final Mission
Apollo 17 was the eleventh and last manned American mission to the Moon. It was launched on December 7, 1972 by Commander Eugene Cernan, Command Module Pilot Ronald Evans, and Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt. Harrison Schmitt is the only trained geologist to walk on the moon. Apollo 17 is noted for setting quite a few records for the longest manned lunar landing flight, the longest total lunar surface extravehicular activities, the largest lunar sample return, and the longest time in lunar orbit. It remains the most recent manned Moon landing as well as the most recent manned flight beyond lower Earth orbit.
Apollo 17 is remembered favorably for a number of reasons. To the public, the astronauts were known for taking a famous picture of the Earth, which is now known as “The Blue Marble.” In the past moon landing missions, astronauts had only photographed the Western hemisphere. Since the Apollo 17 mission spent two days in Earth’s orbit before leaving for the moon, they were able to get a different perspective. This famous photograph shows the entire continent of Africa and Antarctica. After landing on the surface on December 11th, the astronauts made three excursions along the surface of the Moon that lasted for about 7 hours each. Using a Lunar Rover, the crew collected a record of 110.5 pounds of soil and rock samples and explored a record 21 miles of the Taurus Littrow valley. The Taurus Littrow region, and the landing site for their mission, is a dark mantle between three high massifs, or mountains, which provided a variety of rock samples. In fact, this location was chosen because it could offer rocks that were both older and younger than those obtained on earlier Apollo missions.
Eugene Cernan is the last man to have set foot on the Moon. His famous last words look to a hopeful future return when he said, “As I take man’s last step from the surface, back home for some time to come—but we believe not too long into the future—I’d like to just [say] what I believe history will record—that America’s challenge of today has forged man’s destiny of tomorrow. And, as we leave the Moon at Taurus Littrow, we leave as we came, and God willing, as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind. Godspeed the crew of Apollo 17.” The mission came to an end on December 19, 1972 when the crew successfully landed in the South Pacific Ocean.
Failed Moon Missions
Throughout the twentieth century, America and many other nations around the world had infatuation with the moon and they had great inspirations of one day making the moon an active part of our culture. As Americans first anticipated the first ever launch of Pioneer O on August 17, 1958, it was unfortunately a failed attempt as just after 77 seconds the rocket had exploded. However, 11 years later Apollo 11 was the first human engineered spacecraft to successfully land on the moon, where they planted the American flag on lunar soil. As this was a phenomenal breakthrough in America and the world as a whole, it took over 40 other spacecrafts to eventually lead them to the innovation to walk the moon.
There are numerous failed moon missions that have failed prior to Apollo 11, and what may be even more shocking is that there were also failed attempts of launching and landing on the moon after Apollo 11; even with better technological innovations than 1969. Missions such as: Luna 23, Apollo 13, and Cosmos 300, were some of the various missions that have failed throughout American history in attempts to study and land on the moon. Many of the failures within this time frame were problems with controls, engines, or mechanics; rarely, if ever of any of the failures were caused by the astronauts on board. One of the most traumatizing experiences that was a failed mission to the moon was on Apollo 13. As through midflight into space, the aircraft reported an explosion in the service module, and cause the individuals to return home.
The race to conquer space and achieve a manned lunar landing was fueled by the intense rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War era. The ambitious Apollo program was initiated with the aim of establishing superiority in space exploration. However, despite a series of triumphant missions to the moon, NASA surprisingly decided to abandon any future plans for lunar exploration. In this piece, we will explore NASA's choice to not go back to the moon and analyze the various factors that influenced the agency's change in focus.
Achieving the initial objective
One of the primary reasons why did NASA stop going to the moon was that they had accomplished their initial objective. The primary aim of the Apollo program was to enable human exploration on the moon and conduct valuable scientific investigations. Over the span of three years, from 1969 to 1972, a remarkable series of six manned landings were completed, granting twelve astronauts the opportunity to step foot on the lunar surface. The invaluable scientific knowledge derived from these expeditions, encompassing lunar rock samples and comprehensive data, has played a vital role in enhancing humanity's comprehension of the moon's geological composition and historical evolution.
Astronomical costs
The astronomical costs associated with maintaining these missions also played a significant role. While there was great excitement at the beginning of the Apollo program, the expenses for spacecraft development, astronaut training, mission operations, and support infrastructure quickly added up. As public interest waned over time and national priorities shifted towards other pressing concerns like domestic issues and geopolitical tensions, NASA faced increasing challenges in justifying such immense expenses.
Diminishing scientific returns
As NASA continued to send astronauts to the moon, diminishing scientific returns began to factor into their decision-making process. After six successful landings and ample data collection from these missions, scientists had gained a relatively comprehensive understanding of lunar geology and other aspects of our celestial neighbor. Further expeditions to collect additional samples or conduct experiments started to yield diminishing scientific returns. As a result, it became harder and more risky to continue pouring vast sums of money into lunar missions.
Focus on a broader scope of exploration
NASA's decision to halt moon landings was driven in large part by the agency's desire to broaden its exploration goals. Even though the Apollo program's primary goal was to send humans to the moon, there were still many unanswered questions in the field of space exploration. By shifting focus to other missions like unmanned probes to study other planets, satellites for Earth observation, and deep space exploration, NASA could increase our knowledge of the cosmos and aid in the development of various scientific disciplines.
Technological advancements and human spaceflight challenges
While the Apollo missions required remarkable technological breakthroughs, they also exposed some serious problems with human space travel. Radiation hazards, the physiological effects of long-term space travel, and the need for sophisticated life support systems in dangerous environments all figured prominently among these difficulties. To address these challenges and develop safer and more sustainable human spaceflight capabilities, NASA shifted its focus towards projects like the International Space Station (ISS) and the development of new crewed spacecraft such as the Orion spacecraft and Artemis program.
Overall, many factors contributed to NASA's final decision to halt moon landings. The decision was heavily influenced by the need to achieve their original goal, deal with rising costs and diminishing scientific returns, explore new places beyond, and overcome technological obstacles. While there has been a temporary halt to manned lunar landings, preparations are already well under way for future lunar missions as part of NASA's Artemis program, which has as its ultimate goal the return of humans to the lunar surface by 2024 through the use of cutting-edge technologies and global cooperation. As humanity enters a new era of exploration, it must draw wisdom from the past even as it pushes the envelope and opens itself to uncharted territory in order to ensure that its journey beyond Earth's borders will continue unabated.
FAQ
Why haven't we returned to the moon?
NASA shifted its focus to other exploration goals after the Apollo missions successfully landed astronauts on the moon and brought them back to Earth, so humans have not returned to the moon since then.
Has anyone been back to the moon?
No, no humans have returned to the moon since the last Apollo mission in 1972. However, various countries have sent robotic spacecraft, such as NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), which has been orbiting it and collecting valuable data since 2009.
When was the last time we went to the moon?
The last time humans went to the moon was during the Apollo 17 mission, which took place in December 1972. Humans have not returned to the moon since then. Even so, many robotic spacecraft have made unmanned missions in order to collect data and explore the surface.
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