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Reflecting on the Legacy of Apollo 11

astronaut on moon saluting USA flagThis year marks the 55th anniversary of Apollo 11, the historic mission that saw humanity’s first steps on another celestial body. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin (and Michael Collins, the Command Module Pilot who remained in orbit—a pretty pivotal role!) walking on the moon represented a culmination of years of innovation, dedication, and sheer determination. The Apollo 11 mission was a pinnacle of the space race, a consequence of the Cold War that fueled advancements in aerospace technology and captured imaginations of people worldwide. Continue reading “Reflecting on the Legacy of Apollo 11”

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Protecting Lunar Samples from Contamination

Moon Rock Containment Chamber in the Johnson Space Center in Houston

For as long as humanity has been looking up at the sky, we’ve wondered what lay beyond the ground beneath our feet. When the astronauts of the Apollo 11 mission took their first steps in 1969, the world saw a future filled with spaceships and rockets. We dreamed of a lack of gravity, fueled by grainy images on a TV and the words of Neil Armstrong: “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” The Apollo 17 mission in 1972 was the last trip to the moon for several decades.

Lunar science has become a thriving field of study which helps to define our knowledge of the formation of the universe. The lunar rock and soil samples gathered by Apollo astronauts are still studied to this day. 

Continue reading “Protecting Lunar Samples from Contamination”