Before it would be possible to set a spacecraft on the moon, a series of test flights were required. While every precaution is always taken when sending people into space, exploring new frontiers is always hazardous. No fatalities had occurred in either the Mercury or Gemini programs. The first scheduled Apollo mission, however, became one of NASA’s worst disasters. Virgil I. Grissom, Edward H. White II, and Roger B. Chaffee lost their lives on January 27, 1967 when a fire occurred during a routine checkout of the spacecraft.

After the tragedy many people questioned the need to continue such a dangerous endeavor. In fact, the incident had the potential to end the space program. Instead of ending exploration, however, NASA did an extensive inquiry to insure that the chance for future disasters was minimized. The investigation following the fire led to major changes in the design of the spacecraft, quality control, and safety training procedures. These changes improved the safety of the vehicles substantially for future astronauts.  

It was October 11, 1968 when Walter M. Schirra Jr., Donn F. Eisele, and R. Walter Cunningham overcame tragedy to carryout the first manned mission since the tragic fire. The Apollo 7 flight lasted for nearly 11 days and the crew was able to complete all of the primary mission objectives.

With each succeeding Apollo mission, the objective of landing on the moon neared reality. Apollo 8 achieved lunar orbit and photographed potential landing sites. Apollo 9 tested the lunar module in Earth orbit. Apollo 10 was the dress rehearsal for an actual moon landing with the lunar module being flown to within 50,000km of the lunar surface.

Apollo 11 carried Neil A. Armstrong, Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., and Michael Collins to the moon. Neil Armstrong made history on July 20, 1969 when he became the first human being to set foot on the moon. After a brief 21.6 hours on the surface and 59.5 hours in lunar orbit, the astronauts began their return to earth. They brought back 44 pounds of lunar samples and proved that it was possible to land on the moon and return safely to earth.

Apollo 12 repeated the success of the first lunar landing mission. Additionally, more science instruments were set up on the moon and more sample material was gathered.

Following two successful missions, NASA nearly had a second fatal incident with Apollo 13. Lovell, Swigert, and Haise were having a relatively uneventful trip to the moon when an oxygen tank exploded and caused a rupture in a second tank. The crew had to leave the command module and move into the lunar module for survival. Instead of landing on the moon, the spacecraft went around the moon and headed back toward Earth. It took a monumental effort on the ground and in the spacecraft to save the crew. In the end, the crew made it safely back to Earth. Rather than being known for great accomplishments in science, the crew Apollo 13 became heroes for overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds not only to survive but, possibly to save the entire space program.

Several more successful moon landings followed the near-tragedy of Apollo 13. Apollo 17 was the final mission (so far!) to place human beings on the moon. Six missions put twelve men on the surface of the moon. Additionally, three other flights orbited the moon. There was another flight scheduled to go the moon (Apollo 18) but it was cancelled due to budget cuts. The end of the lunar missions was not the end of the Apollo program. Skylab and the Apollo-Soyuz link-up also used the Apollo spacecraft.

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