[ASMR] Ear to Ear Whispered Facts about the Apollo Space Program

 

Apollo Space Program Facts

Introduction

Today, I have some interesting and historical facts for you about the Apollo space program. Please note that I cannot guarantee the accuracy of these facts. The Apollo program, also known as Project Apollo, was the third United States human spaceflight program carried out by NASA.

Facts

• The launch of Apollo 4 produced one of the loudest manmade noises, shaking buildings up to three miles away.

• Eleven of the twelve people to walk on the moon were Boy Scouts.

• A Dutch national museum had a moon rock from the Apollo 11 mission, but it was later revealed to be a piece of petrified wood.

• Apollo 8 and 10 returned photography of the lunar surface.

• Astronauts described the odor of moon dust as similar to used gunpowder or wet ashes in a fireplace.

• Harrison Schmitt from Apollo 17 is the first and only U.S. scientist to have landed on the moon.

• President John F. Kennedy gave NASA the goal to land on the moon by the end of the sixties decade and return safely to Earth.

• Each Apollo mission had a unique patch designed by the team of astronauts.

• There were six Apollo missions that landed men on the moon: 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17.

• When NASA tried to restore the original recordings of the Apollo 11 moon landing, the tapes were missing.

• The total cost of the Apollo program was approximately $109 billion.

• The footprints left by the astronauts on the moon are more permanent than most solid structures on Earth.

• There are not many photographs of Neil Armstrong on the moon since he carried the camera most of the time.

• The American flag planted on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission was difficult to erect due to the lunar soil.

• Astronaut Peter Conrad's first words when he stepped onto the lunar surface were "Ooh, is that soft and squishy?", proving that NASA did not script astronaut comments.

• The Apollo 11 mission used a computer with less memory than a modern cell phone.

• The command module of Apollo 11 can be found at the National Air and Space Museum.

• The original recordings of the Apollo 11 moon landing were lost, but the impact site of the lunar module Eagle is unknown.

• Neil Armstrong was not the first choice to command Apollo 11.

• There is no official Apollo 2 or Apollo 3 due to the Apollo 1 craft being destroyed in a preflight test.

• Throughout the 1960s, a majority of Americans were opposed to the Apollo missions.

• Geologist Harrison Schmitt had a reaction to lunar dust, which he called "lunar dust fever".

• The American flag on the moon has been bleached white by solar radiation.

• Nine pairs of astronaut boots still sit on the moon's surface.

• The crews of Apollo 11, 12, and 14 were quarantined after their lunar landings.

• The Apollo 10 lunar module, Snoopy, is currently in orbit around the sun.

• The surface of the moon was once molten, as shown by analysis of the Genesis rock brought back by Apollo 15.

• The American flag on the moon was knocked over by the exhaust from the Apollo 11 lunar module.

• Michael Collins orbited the moon while his colleagues walked on its surface.

• A special ceremony was held to honor the Apollo 1 astronauts, unveiling a new exhibit at the Kennedy Space Center.

• Apollo 7 spent more time in space than all Soviet space flights combined up to that time.

• Astronaut Edgar D. Mitchell conducted secret ESP experiments during Apollo 14.

• Black & Decker developed a portable drill for extracting core samples from beneath the lunar surface during Apollo missions, leading to the creation of the Dust Buster.

• The astronauts of Apollo 12 used a sextant and star chart when the automated navigation system malfunctioned.

• Over 180 of the 270 moon rocks gifted over the years are unaccounted for.

In 1970, Apollo 11 became the first manned mission to land on the moon. Since then, the Apollo program has employed nearly half a million people.

During the Apollo 12 mission, the Saturn V launch vehicle was struck by lightning twice after liftoff.

The Apollo 7 mission featured the first live TV from a manned spacecraft.

The average age of Apollo 11's mission control team was only 28 years old.

Commander David Scott performed a live demonstration during the last Apollo 15 moonwalk, showing that a feather falls at the same rate as a hammer in a vacuum.

The spacesuits for the Apollo missions were created by Playtex, a company known for making ladies undergarments.

The most interesting piece of litter on the moon is a small sculpture called the Fallen Astronaut, placed there by Belgian artist Paul Van Hoeydonck.

The Lunar Rover was developed and built in only 17 months and was remarkably reliable on the moon.

One of Apollo 11's lasting contributions was a panel with mirrors that enabled people on Earth to shoot lasers at them and wait for the reflection to return.

Apollo 13 was intended to land on the moon but had to do a flyby due to an oxygen tank rupture.

Apollo 10 was a dress rehearsal for the first moon landing, testing all components and procedures except actually landing.

During the Apollo 11 mission, over 100 items were discarded on the moon.

After the Apollo 13 failure, an inquiry found that some parts did not conform to design specifications, leading to a temporary grounding of the entire Apollo program.

Neil Armstrong threw a bag of trash onto the moon's surface and kicked it under the lander.

The Apollo 1 launch test ended in tragedy when a fire broke out, and the astronauts were unable to open the sealed door.

Before the Apollo program, Mercury and Gemini flights tested human behavior in space and technical procedures such as rendezvous.

When Buzz Aldrin joined Neil Armstrong on the moon's surface, he called it "magnificent desolation."

After his astronaut career, Buzz Aldrin worked for a Cadillac dealership in Beverly Hills.

During the transmissions of Apollo 7, the astronauts gave a tour of the spacecraft and cracked jokes.

Dr. Abe Silverstein, NASA's director of spaceflight programs, suggested the name Apollo for the lunar space program.