Almost fifty-one years ago, humans stepped on another planetary body for the first time in history.
When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked onto the surface of the Moon, the whole world was watching.
Every person inspired and captivated regardless of nationality, income, ethnicity, or gender.
We are right to celebrate this exceptional achievement, but this 51st anniversary also tells us what could, and many of us believe should have been.
Reliving the Apollo 11 Experience
And after surpassing the Soviet Union to the Moon, the United States lost its motive to continue sending astronauts to the Moon.
The United States last mission ascending from the lunar surface in December 1972.
It appeared that human civilization had indeed entered a new and exciting phase.
Those who were living at the time to endure this event can most likely, even 51 years later, tell you precisely where they were at the time.
Many people will tell you that they were sitting in their den or living room, watching TV, listening closely to the reporting of Walter Cronkite.
Courtesy of NASA Marshall Space Flight Center NASA. (NASA-MSFC).
Since then, there have been calls by many presidents to return to the Moon and send humans to Mars.
Return to the Moon and send humans to Mars
And also, in this second decade of the 21st century, the United States and international partners and our industry have been developing crew, launch, and other skills that will help allow us to send humans into space again.
We are now in a considerably better position, and so much closer, to return to the Moon and send humans to Mars.
There still will be many technical challenges to overcome, but the most significant challenge remains the political will to do so.
Mankind Back to the Moon by 2024
The administration announced brave strategies to return humanity to the Moon by 2024.
And therefore advancing the previous timeline of 2028, and then on to Mars by 2033.
This intent is compatible with the NASA Transition Authorization Act of 2017 that calls for human missions to Mars by 2033.
Therefore, in seeking to return to the Moon on such an accelerated schedule, missions must be conducted and designed in a mien that will enable and feedforward to human missions to Mars in the 2030s.
So, the support for our space program is one of the few policies and issues in the United States today that unites us.
Based on the mighty level of bipartisan public and political support. The return to the Moon in the 2020s and later on to Mars in the 2030s will not only motivate Americans but also the rest of the world.
Again, nobody had set foot on the lunar surface since December 1972, when Apollo 17 left on its way back to Earth. But it will change relatively soon if all goes according to NASA’s plan.
And the space agency is now working, via its Artemis program, to land two astronauts close to the Moon’s south pole hopefully in 2024, and will establish a long-term, sustainable presence on and around the Moon by 2028.
That’s it, and I hope you enjoyed this article. Please check out this article: Summary of Apollo 11 Events.
The new book ‘How We Got to the Moon’ will reveal a stunning look at Apollo 11 Mission to the Moon.
Tycho Crater
The famous Tycho crater is often the favorite of many skywatcher images because it’s clearly visible on our Moon’s surface and can be seen in stunning detail in this image. Find out everything about this fascinating crater here, you will be amazed.
