Space questions, answered
What were the Apollo missions?
Apollo was NASA's program to land humans on the Moon, running from 1961 to 1972. Eleven crewed Apollo missions flew, six of them landed astronauts on the surface, and twelve people walked on the Moon.
The crewed flights: Apollo 1 (1967) ended in a launch-pad fire that killed its three astronauts before it could fly. Apollo 7 (1968) was the first crewed flight, in Earth orbit. Apollo 8 (1968) became the first crewed mission to orbit the Moon. Apollo 9 and 10 (1969) tested the lunar module in Earth and lunar orbit.
Then the landings: Apollo 11 (July 1969) put the first humans on the Moon; Apollo 12 (1969) followed. Apollo 13 (1970) suffered an oxygen-tank explosion on the way and became a survival story — its crew looped around the Moon and returned safely without landing. Apollo 14, 15, 16, and 17 (1971–1972) completed the landings, with the last three carrying the lunar rover. Apollo 17, in December 1972, was the last time anyone walked on the Moon.
NASA's Artemis program is now working to return — this time to the lunar south pole.
Who has been to the Moon? →Fly Apollo 17's landing valley →Artemis III — the planned return →
People also ask
How many Apollo missions landed on the Moon?
Six: Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17. Apollo 13 was meant to be the third landing but was aborted after an explosion.
What happened to Apollo 13?
An oxygen tank exploded on the way to the Moon. The crew used the lunar module as a lifeboat, looped around the Moon, and returned safely — no landing.
Which Apollo missions had the lunar rover?
Apollo 15, 16, and 17 each carried a Lunar Roving Vehicle.
Sources: NASA — Apollo program