FORTY YEARS ago
The Apollo 11 lunar landing was witnessed worldwide by millions of people who watched on their television sets. I was only 41/2 at the time and do not remember the landing, but I am sure there are plenty of readers of this column who remember where they were and what they were doing when history was made that day. Unlike the Soviet Union's triumph with Sputnik at the beginning of the space race, Apollo sealed America's position as the leader in space. It was America at its finest moment.
Apollo was an incredible achievement. President Kennedy's goal of sending a man to the moon and returning him safely to Earth was met only eight years after Kennedy's famous speech in 1961. A program manager's dream, Apollo finished ahead of schedule and under budget. Several other missions landed on the moon following Apollo 11, including Apollo 12, 14, 15, 16 and 17. Apollo 13's lunar landing was canceled due to an oxygen tank explosion, but the crew returned safely to Earth thanks to the dedication, knowledge and perseverance of the mission control personnel and Apollo 13 crew. Apollo 13's success at the brink of disaster was a supreme achievement in its own right.
The six Apollo missions put a total of 12 men on the moon, and scientific studies were conducted by each of the missions. About 842 pounds of moon rocks were returned by the astronauts, and these rocks are still studied today by geologists and scientists. The rocks have provided invaluable insight into the moon's history. Interestingly, one of these moon rocks is permanently mounted in Washington National Cathedral's Space Window.
As proudly as Apollo 11 began humankind's journey to the moon, manned missions to the moon ended with Apollo 17 in December 1972 as interest and funding waned for the program. As an 8-year-old, I remember watching the Apollo 17 mission on television in elementary school, but little did I know that this could have been the last time I would see humans walking on another world.
There is promise that NASA will again send humans to the moon with the Constellation Program set to land humans on the moon by 2020 and eventually send humans to Mars. Many obstacles must be overcome before a human landing becomes reality, and 40 years after Apollo 11, we're basically starting from scratch. In addition, political, financial and social opposition may prove to be greater impediments than the 238,000 miles separating us from the moon.
Perhaps Apollo's greatest legacy was instilling a sense of amazement and wonder in the minds of people who were inspired to learn about our place in the universe. Regardless of whether or not we make it to the moon in this century, Apollo will forever be known to me as the spark that drew my attention to the heavens above.
JULY SKIES
Saturn is still hanging out in the western sky after sunset. Look for the ringed planet to be near the moon during the evenings of July 24-25.
Jupiter is visible in the eastern sky later in the evening. Look for it to be near the moon on July 9-10 a few hours after sunset.
Brilliant Venus and dimmer Mars have separated since last month and appear above the eastern horizon before sunrise. Look for the thin crescent moon to join them during the mornings of July 18-19.
David Abbou of Stafford County conducts public outreach on astronomy and the space program as a NASA JPL Solar System Ambassador. He is a member of the Rappahannock Astronomy Club. Contact him at david.abbou@veri zon.net