The Apollo 11 astronauts wave to an enormous crowd as they ride through New York City in the back of a convertible. The ticker-tape parade was only one of many similar celebrations.
Apollo 11 vaulted the United States into the lead in the space race. The triumph of American know-how inspired a wave of national pride. Even so, thoughtful people knew that the Moon landing belonged to all people and all nations. Back in the 1930s, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky had dreamed about spaceflight. “Earth is the cradle of mankind,” the Soviet rocket scientist wrote. “But you cannot live in the cradle forever.”1
Driven by a thirst for knowledge and adventure, a new wave of pioneers had ventured skyward. Tsiolkovsky would have been the first to applaud their feat. At long last, he might have said, humanity had left the cradle.
As the quarantine ended, the nation embraced the Apollo 11 crew. For a time, Americans forgot that they were fighting a costly war in Vietnam. President Nixon led the salutes. United by “the Spirit of Apollo,” he said, the country had shown that it could solve any problem.2
The Apollo 11 astronauts wave to an enormous crowd as they ride through New York City in the back of a convertible. The ticker-tape parade was only one of many similar celebrations.
Messages poured into Houston from around the globe. Some came from high places. Pope Paul VI and the king of Belgium sent admiring best wishes. Other notes came from the streets. The Camel Drivers Radio Club of Afghanistan welcomed the Apollo 11 astronauts as honorary members. The mailbox also overflowed with invitations. Michael Collins laughed when he was asked to attend a rodeo. “Anyone that can ride that whatever-it-is the way you did has gotta be a darn good cowboy,” the letter said.3
In a blur of busy days, August 13 stood out. In the morning, New York City treated the astronauts to a ticker-tape parade. Next came a flight to Chicago for a reception and a round of speeches. The day ended in Los Angeles, at a state dinner hosted by President Nixon. A month later, the astronauts and their families took off on a seven-week trip through twenty-five countries. As cheering crowds looked on, the heroes shook hands with dozens of world leaders.4
Nothing in their training had prepared the astronauts for this sudden brush with fame. Even so, each met the test with patience and good humor. It was a bumpy ride at times, but the three men seemed to enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime experience.5
The Apollo project did not end with Apollo 11. Apollo 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17 each made a safe landing on the Moon. Only Apollo 13, crippled by an explosion, failed to complete its mission. The crew made it back to Earth by using the lunar module as a “lifeboat.” In July 1971, the Apollo 15 moonwalkers climbed into a lunar rover and took the first drive across the Moon. In April 1972, the Apollo 16 crew completed the first exploration of the highlands of the Moon. From December 11 to 14, 1972, the Apollo 17 moonwalkers spent a record twenty-two hours exploring the Moon’s surface.
The Apollo 17 flight ended the Apollo project. The world’s scientists hardly noticed. They were busy studying 838 pounds (380 kilograms) of moon rocks. As the weeks went by, labs around the world announced their findings. Tests showed that some rocks were 4 billion years old, but none contained any sign of life. The rocks did contain elements common to Earth such as iron, silicon, and oxygen. However, the chemical links that bound the elements together differed from those found in Earth rocks. One mineral from Apollo 11’s collection turned out to be entirely new. Scientists named the titanium-rich compound armalcolite. The name honored the crew: arm- for Armstrong, -al- for Aldrin, -col- for Collins.6
As the headlines faded, the Apollo 11 astronauts went on to new challenges. After leaving NASA, Michael Collins worked for the State Department. A year later, he moved up to the top job at the National Air and Space Museum. After a brief tour of duty with the Air Force, Buzz Aldrin ran his own consulting company. NASA, his old boss, hired him to help design the space shuttle. Neil Armstrong went on to teach at the University of Cincinnati. In 1986, he served on the commission that studied the Challenger space shuttle disaster.7
The race to the Moon united Americans in pursuit of a grand prize. Thousands of people worked together to build and launch the Apollo spacecraft. Today, that unity seems lost. The nation is focused on tasks such as fighting terrorism and protecting endangered species. Somehow, these challenges seem less inspiring—and less easily solved.
The Apollo program continued until the final moon landing of Apollo 17. In this photo, astronaut John W. Young, commander of the Apollo 16 mission, jumps to salute the American flag. The Apollo 16 crew completed the first exploration of the Moon’s highlands.
Today’s big space project, the International Space Station, attracts few headlines. Perhaps the nation is waiting for the inspiration to stretch even further. Should we gear up for a manned flight to Mars? Whatever comes next, the footprints left in the sands of the Sea of Tranquility will survive. Unless a meteorite strike destroys them, they will be there a million years from now.8
Mission specialist John Newman waves at the camera while working outside the International Space Station. Although current space missions may not capture the world’s attention like the first Moon landing did in 1969, the United States and countries around the globe are still responding to the challenge of space exploration.