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Author: Jordan Raddick, Johns Hopkins University
Editor: Beth Hufnagel, Anne Arundel Community College
The goals of this module: At the end, you should be able to:
Identify the missions that sent robotic probes and humans to the Moon.
Discuss the video evidence that shows people visiting the Moon.
In this module you will explore:
The history of human exploration of the Moon
Videos of astronauts exploring the Moon
Why you are doing it: The Moon is the only celestial object that people have visited in person, and these visits are an important part of the story of how we understand the universe.
10.2Background
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy gave a speech to Congress declaring that a goal of the United States was "landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth." The decision to go to the Moon was made at least partly for political reasons - the U.S. was competing with the Soviet Union for the prestige that exploring space would bring. Throughout the 1960s, decisions made in both nations' space programs were undertaken with the goal of human exploration of the Moon. On July 20th, 1969, astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the Moon – a major accomplishment, made possible by the work of thousands of people on Earth.
Here, you will learn some of the history of missions to the Moon, and you will see the human exploration yourself, from video that was taken at the time on the Moon.
10.3Stepping Stones to the Moon
The table below is a catalog of missions of robotic and human exploration of the Moon. Click on the names in the left column to view images of the spacecraft. Next to each mission name is the flag and name of the country that produced it, and the year it arrived at the Moon. There is also a brief description of what the mission accomplished. For missions that included human exploration, the people that went on the missions are listed. An asterisk (*) indicates people who walked on the Moon.
Click on the names in the left column to view the images. Study the table and answer the questions below.
You may have noticed that in the late 1950s and early 1960s, the Soviet Union accomplished several of the early goals of Moon exploration, but the United States accomplished exactly the same goals soon after. Why do you think the U.S. repeated the Soviets' efforts?
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B.
C.
D.
E.
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Try again. This is a correct answer, but other answers are correct as well. Remember, this is the time of the "Cold War"!
Correct. This is a complex issue, and you may have thought of many more reasons.
Incorrect. This is a complex issue, and you may have thought of many more reasons.
Question
2.
It was important to explore the Moon with robotic probes like the Luna and Ranger series and the Lunar Orbiter before sending people to the Moon.
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B.
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Try again. Before sending people to the Moon, we needed more information before astronauts lives were placed at risk.
Correct. Before the robotic probes, all we knew about the Moon was what we could see from Earth. There were many things about the Moon that we didn't know. For example, we didn't know whether or not the Moon was covered in a thick layer of dust that the astronauts would sink into. There is some dust, but it's only deep enough to show a footprint.
Incorrect. Before the robotic probes, all we knew about the Moon was what we could see from Earth. There were many things about the Moon that we didn't know. For example, we didn't know whether or not the Moon was covered in a thick layer of dust that the astronauts would sink into. There is some dust, but it's only deep enough to show a footprint.
Question
3.
By using Earth-based telescopes to keep track of the Lunar Prospector as it orbited the Moon, scientists were able to make a detailed map of gravity variations, which show where mass is distributed in the Moon. These maps suggest that the Moon has a small iron core that supports the idea that it came from a Mars-sized object that collided with the Earth. Results show that an important way to discover scientific results about the Moon (and other bodies in the Solar System) is to:
A.
B.
C.
D.
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Try again.
Correct. All the above answers are ways that we could make discoveries about the Moon, but the Lunar Prospector results show the importance of combining observations from many sources, including those made from Earth and robotic missions.
Incorrect. All the above answers are ways that we could make discoveries about the Moon, but the Lunar Prospector results show the importance of combining observations from many sources, including those made from Earth and robotic missions.
10.4Landing On The Moon
Landing people on the Moon was an amazing accomplishment not just for American scientists, but for people around the world interested in the universe. Between 1969 and 1972, twelve astronauts walked on the Moon. They carried cameras and video equipment with them, and the pictures and videos were shown live around the world.
The two movies below, from NASA's archives, are original movies taken by astronauts on the Moon during the Apollo 16 mission. The one on the left has sound; the one on the right does not. Click Play to watch the videos, and answer the questions below.
Astronaut John Young jumps and salutes the U.S. flag.
Astronaut John Young drives the lunar rover across the Moon's surface.
Question Sequence
Question
4.
Look at the astronaut jumping to salute the flag in the video on the left. Assume that he weighed 700 Newtons on Earth (about the average weight for a man). The spacesuit he is wearing weighed about 800 Newtons (about 185 pounds) on Earth. The Moon's gravity is about 1/6 of Earth's gravity. About how much did the astronaut in his spacesuit weigh on the Moon in units of Newtons (N)?
A.
B.
C.
D.
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Try again. Remember that weight is a measure of the gravitational force that a person or object feels. Also, don't forget to include the spacesuit the astronaut is wearing!
Correct. The astronaut weighed 1/6 as much on the Moon as he did on Earth. Remember that he was wearing a spacesuit (700 N + 800 N) times 1/6 equals 250 N.
Incorrect. The astronaut weighed 1/6 as much on the Moon as he did on Earth. Remember that he was wearing a spacesuit (700 N + 800 N) times 1/6 equals 250 N.
Question
5.
Why did the astronauts use a lunar rover?
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B.
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Try again.
Correct. One of the major scientific goals of the Moon exploration program was to gather rock samples from the Moon. The lunar rover allowed astronauts to travel greater distances on the Moon, so that they could explore larger areas and collect more samples of a wider variety of rocks.
Incorrect. One of the major scientific goals of the Moon exploration program was to gather rock samples from the Moon. The lunar rover allowed astronauts to travel greater distances on the Moon, so that they could explore larger areas and collect more samples of a wider variety of rocks.
Question
6.
In the 1990s, evidence came to light that the Moon landings were faked - they were filmed in a Hollywood studio with actors wearing spacesuits.
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B.
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Try again. There was no evidence, though there certainly was a lot of excitement and talk! What evidence is in the videos that would make you conclude they were not on the Earth?
Correct. This is an 'urban legend', a story that sounds plausible but doesn't hold up when it's tested scientifically. There is a lot of evidence in these videos that the astronauts are on the Moon, but two of the most obvious points are that the jumping astronaut gets almost a meter off the ground, and that the lunar rover pushes Moon dust up in a perfect arc, rather than releasing a cloud of dust behind it like we see in Earth's atmosphere. The astronaut's high jump would only be possible in the Moon's low gravity, and the perfect arc would only be possible in the Moon's airless environment.
Incorrect. This is an 'urban legend', a story that sounds plausible but doesn't hold up when it's tested scientifically. There is a lot of evidence in these videos that the astronauts are on the Moon, but two of the most obvious points are that the jumping astronaut gets almost a meter off the ground, and that the lunar rover pushes Moon dust up in a perfect arc, rather than releasing a cloud of dust behind it like we see in Earth's atmosphere. The astronaut's high jump would only be possible in the Moon's low gravity, and the perfect arc would only be possible in the Moon's airless environment.
10.5Will People Ever Walk on the Moon Again?
You may have noticed that the last person walked on the Moon in 1972, more than three decades ago. The Soviet Union never did land men on the Moon, since the race was over as soon as Neil Armstrong stepped onto the Moon. At this point, only two countries, the USA and China, are discussing sending people back to the Moon.
China's answer to the USA's Saturn V - the Shenzhou-7
The USA's Moon program took a decade to accomplish, and close to $200 billion, or $20 billion a year. This is more than NASA's total budget for 2008! Is going back to the Moon worth intense effort for at least a decade and spending lots of money? What can be accomplished by humans that can not be done by robots?
Click on this link to get the sense, in five minutes, of how the first flight to the Moon mesmerized the entire world. Notice how the astronauts expressed their feeling of doing this for the entire world, not just the USA.
Stay tuned for future developments!
You're done with this activity. All that's left is the Quick Check.
10.6Quick Check Quiz
Indepth Activity: Human Exploration of the Moon
Question
7.
The Moon exploration program:
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B.
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D.
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Correct.
Incorrect.
Question
8.
Evidence that astronauts walked on the Moon:
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B.
C.
D.
E.
Correct.
Incorrect.
Question
9.
How many humans have walked on the Moon?
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B.
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D.
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Correct.
Incorrect.
Question
10.
Which NASA mission landed humans on the Moon?
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Correct. The first mission to land astronauts on the Moon was Apollo 11. Landings continued with Apollo 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17. The last human to walk on the Moon was Eugene Cernan in 1972.
Incorrect. The first mission to land astronauts on the Moon was Apollo 11. Landings continued with Apollo 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17. The last human to walk on the Moon was Eugene Cernan in 1972.
Question
11.
Which country landed the first object on the Moon?
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Correct. The USSR holds several firsts from the “space race,” including crash landing and landing the first manmade objects on the Moon. Russia was part of the USSR during this time and not a separate country.
Incorrect. The USSR holds several firsts from the “space race,” including crash landing and landing the first manmade objects on the Moon. Russia was part of the USSR during this time and not a separate country.
Question
12.
Robotic missions to the Moon:
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B.
C.
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Correct. Robotic missions were crucial to the human missions to the Moon. Many robotic missions have been accomplished since the end of the Apollo program, and more are being planned.
Incorrect. Robotic missions were crucial to the human missions to the Moon. Many robotic missions have been accomplished since the end of the Apollo program, and more are being planned.
Question
13.
Video from the Apollo missions:
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B.
C.
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Correct. Check out the Apollo archives at www.NASA.gov for many more videos than are included in this activity.
Incorrect. Check out the Apollo archives at www.NASA.gov for many more videos than are included in this activity.
Question
14.
The videos in this activity:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Correct. There is a lot of evidence in the Apollo 16 videos that the astronauts are on the Moon, but the most obvious point is the “jumping astronaut” who gets almost a meter off the ground. The astronaut's high jump would only be possible in the Moon's low gravity.
Incorrect. There is a lot of evidence in the Apollo 16 videos that the astronauts are on the Moon, but the most obvious point is the “jumping astronaut” who gets almost a meter off the ground. The astronaut's high jump would only be possible in the Moon's low gravity.
Question
15.
How did American scientists select the best possible landing sites for human missions to the Moon?
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B.
C.
D.
Correct.
Incorrect.
Question
16.
What nations have sent robotic missions to the Moon?