The Moon has captured the attention of humankind for as long as we have gazed upon the stars. Reflecting the Sun's light each dark night, its presence reminds us of worlds beyond our own. But astronauts have done much more than simply look upon it. On 20 July 1969, the first humans landed on the Moon. As part of a series of missions dubbed the Apollo program, NASA astronauts returned to Earth with more knowledge of the rocky orb than our species had ever acquired before. But to think that a handful of missions to this world would make us experts of this foreign terrain would be a mistake. We have only explored a tiny portion of the Moon, and there is still so much more to learn.
It's been half a century since we last visited the Moon, and NASA has made clear its plans to place the next astronauts on its surface by 2025. At least two more people will follow in the few dusty footsteps of the Apollo program's moonwalkers. When the Apollo program was launched, we knew few details about the silvery sphere that graces our skies. Upon the astronauts' successful return to Earth with samples from the Moon, we were able to learn the majority of what we know today about our planet's natural satellite. We learned that the surface of the Moon has a dust covering and the structure contains a core, mantle, and crust just like Earth's. For Apollo, putting humans on the Moon was the main and final goal. It provided us with a better understanding of what was previously an uncharted and unimaginable environment. Soon this territory is to be further explored, and humanity's achievements in space travel will be expanded upon.
Denne historien er fra Issue 132-utgaven av All About Space UK.
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Denne historien er fra Issue 132-utgaven av All About Space UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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15 AUTUMN STARGAZING TARGETS
Go on a night-sky treasure hunt as the brighter evenings give way to the cooler months
MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE WHY IS VENUS SO DRY?
A new study reckons the answer lies high in the Venusian atmosphere
WHEN BLACK HOLES TURN WHITE
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THE MOON'S THIN ATMOSPHERE IS MADE BY CONSTANT METEORITE BOMBARDMENT
While the solar wind also contributes to the atmosphere, meteorites are the main culprit
INTERSTELLAR TRAVEL AND HOW TO BECOME A SPACE TOURIST
Having explored much of the Solar System, attention is now turning to the stars beyond
NASA'S PERSEVERANCE ROVER FINDS POSSIBLE SIGNS OF ANCIENT RED PLANET LIFE
Further analysis is needed, but a rock contains potential evidence that life once existed on Mars in the distant past
A NASA TELESCOPE MAY HAVE FOUND ANTIMATTER ANNIHILATING IN POSSIBLY THE BIGGEST EXPLOSION SINCE THE BIG BANG
The massive explosion was captured in 2022
Jameel Janjua "This is how we get to Mach 3”
Jameel Janjua made it to the bitter end in a Canadian government astronaut selection in 2009, but wasn't chosen. He found a different path to space through Virgin Galactic
BOEING NEEDS TO IMPROVE QUALITY CONTROL ON THE SLS MOON ROCKET
The NASA Inspector General's report finds serious quality-control issues affecting the upgraded version and expects cost overruns and delays
DARK ENERGY
THE MOST DOMINANT FORCE IN THE UNIVERSE IS ALSO ITS MOST MYSTERIOUS AND MOST UNANTICIPATED