DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Gallery 100: (a) Milestones of Flight:
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GAL100_180408_025.JPG: Lunar Module LM-2
This lunar module represents one of humanity's greatest achievements; landing people on another heavenly body.
Between 1969 and 1972, six lunar modules essentially identical to this one landed a total of 12 American astronauts on the Moon. This lunar module, LM-2, never flew in space. It was built for testing in low Earth orbit but was actually used on Earth to measure the LM's ability to withstand the forces of landing on the Moon. It is configured as LM-5, Apollo 11's lunar module Eagle.
The lunar module also symbolizes the United States' greatest triumph in the space race with the Soviet Union, part of the competition for technological supremacy and international prestige during the Cold War of 1945-91.
Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed."
-- Neil Armstrong, July 23, 1969
The Space Race:
Human voyages to the Moon followed President John F. Kennedy's challenge issued on May 25, 1961. His decision to attempt a lunar landing followed a series of first achievements in space by the Soviet Union, and a recognition that the Soviets were ahead of the United States in some aspects of rocket technology. Kennedy's advisors suggested that, with a dedicated effort, the United States could beat the Soviet Union to the Moon by the end of the decade.
Addressing a joint session of Congress, President Kennedy requests congressional support to send humans to the Moon and back. Behind him are Vice President Lyndon Johnson and Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn.
An estimated 500 million people watched as Apollo 11 achieved Kennedy's goal of a human landing on the Moon, as Neil Armstrong, followed by Buzz Aldrin, stepped onto the lunar surface on July 20, 1969. This display recreates that moment.
Lunar Orbit Rendezvous:
Apollo spacecraft carried a crew of three. The lunar module orbited the Moon joined to a command and service module (CSM). The CSM remained in orbit with one astronaut, while the others flew the LM to the Moon's surface and back. All three astronauts returned to Earth in the command module, the only module that could survive reentry. Six LM descent stages remain on the Moon.
NASA aerospace engineer John Houbolt explains lunar orbit rendezvous, the plan chosen for the Apollo missions. It required two spacecraft: a lander and an orbiter.
By having separate modules to handle landing no the Moon and reentry to Earth, NASA saved weight. Without the lunar orbit rendezvous method, lunar landings would have required a much larger booster or two separate launches.
The LM was designed to operate only in the vacuum of space, so it did not need aerodynamic surfaces or streamlining. It hardly resembles the spacecraft imagined a science fiction, but it accomplished the goal for which it was built.
Notice the LM-2's sturdy legs, built to withstand a possible hard landing on the Moon. The vehicle's body was quite fragile and as light as possible. To save weight, it had no seats, the astronauts stood.
GAL100_180408_028.JPG: Notice the LM-2's sturdy legs, built to withstand a possible hard landing on the Moon. The vehicle's body was quite fragile and as light as possible. To save weight, it had no seats, the astronauts stood.
GAL100_180408_036.JPG: Lunar Module LM-2
This lunar module represents one of humanity's greatest achievements; landing people on another heavenly body.
Between 1969 and 1972, six lunar modules essentially identical to this one landed a total of 12 American astronauts on the Moon. This lunar module, LM-2, never flew in space. It was built for testing in low Earth orbit but was actually used on Earth to measure the LM's ability to withstand the forces of landing on the Moon. It is configured as LM-5, Apollo 11's lunar module Eagle.
The lunar module also symbolizes the United States' greatest triumph in the space race with the Soviet Union, part of the competition for technological supremacy and international prestige during the Cold War of 1945-91.
Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed."
-- Neil Armstrong, July 23, 1969
GAL100_180408_042.JPG: The Space Race:
Human voyages to the Moon followed President John F. Kennedy's challenge issued on May 25, 1961. His decision to attempt a lunar landing followed a series of first achievements in space by the Soviet Union, and a recognition that the Soviets were ahead of the United States in some aspects of rocket technology. Kennedy's advisors suggested that, with a dedicated effort, the United States could beat the Soviet Union to the Moon by the end of the decade.
Addressing a joint session of Congress, President Kennedy requests congressional support to send humans to the Moon and back. Behind him are Vice President Lyndon Johnson and Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn.
An estimated 500 million people watched as Apollo 11 achieved Kennedy's goal of a human landing on the Moon, as Neil Armstrong, followed by Buzz Aldrin, stepped onto the lunar surface on July 20, 1969. This display recreates that moment.
GAL100_180408_043.JPG: Addressing a joint session of Congress, President Kennedy requests congressional support to send humans to the Moon and back. Behind him are Vice President Lyndon Johnson and Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn.
GAL100_180408_045.JPG: An estimated 500 million people watched as Apollo 11 achieved Kennedy's goal of a human landing on the Moon, as Neil Armstrong, followed by Buzz Aldrin, stepped onto the lunar surface on July 20, 1969. This display recreates that moment.
GAL100_180408_047.JPG: NASA aerospace engineer John Houbolt explains lunar orbit rendezvous, the plan chosen for the Apollo missions. It required two spacecraft: a lander and an orbiter.
GAL100_180408_049.JPG: By having separate modules to handle landing no the Moon and reentry to Earth, NASA saved weight. Without the lunar orbit rendezvous method, lunar landings would have required a much larger booster or two separate launches.
GAL100_180408_051.JPG: Lunar Orbit Rendezvous:
Apollo spacecraft carried a crew of three. The lunar module orbited the Moon joined to a command and service module (CSM). The CSM remained in orbit with one astronaut, while the others flew the LM to the Moon's surface and back. All three astronauts returned to Earth in the command module, the only module that could survive reentry. Six LM descent stages remain on the Moon.
NASA aerospace engineer John Houbolt explains lunar orbit rendezvous, the plan chosen for the Apollo missions. It required two spacecraft: a lander and an orbiter.
By having separate modules to handle landing no the Moon and reentry to Earth, NASA saved weight. Without the lunar orbit rendezvous method, lunar landings would have required a much larger booster or two separate launches.
GAL100_180408_057.JPG: Lunar Module LM-2
This lunar module represents one of humanity's greatest achievements; landing people on another heavenly body.
Between 1969 and 1972, six lunar modules essentially identical to this one landed a total of 12 American astronauts on the Moon. This lunar module, LM-2, never flew in space. It was built for testing in low Earth orbit but was actually used on Earth to measure the LM's ability to withstand the forces of landing on the Moon. It is configured as LM-5, Apollo 11's lunar module Eagle.
The lunar module also symbolizes the United States' greatest triumph in the space race with the Soviet Union, part of the competition for technological supremacy and international prestige during the Cold War of 1945-91.
"We would like to give special thanks to all those Americans who built the spacecraft; who did the construction, design, the tests, and put their hearts and all their abilities into those craft. To those people tonight, we give a special thank you."
-- Neil Armstrong, July 23, 1969
Integrated Circuits for Apollo:
The newly invented integrated circuit, or silicon "chip," was among the many innovations in the lunar module's onboard computer. The astronauts used the computer to guide the LM to a safe landing. Silicon chips allowed the computer to meet the LM's weight, size, and power requirements.
Grumman Workers:
Lead engineer Tom Kelly's team at Grumman Aircraft on Long Island, New York, spent nine years engineering and building lunar modules for NASA. Like other workers who contributed to the Apollo program, they took great pride in their work. For Apollo 17, the final lunar landing in 1972, some "Grummies" hung a sign on the rocket: "This may be our last LM but it will be our best."
Neil Armstrong's and Buzz Aldrin's walk on the Moon was a worldwide television event. What other global events have you watched?
Before the Apollo missions landed humans on the Moon, walking on another heavenly body was a dream, possible only in fiction. Apollo 11 made it a reality.
Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin deploys a scientific package during the first Moon landing in 1969. Beyond him is lunar module LM-5. The photo was taken by Neil Armstrong, the first human to walk on the Moon.
Women were chosen for their manual dexterity to do the delicate work of attaching leads on chips. Each chip contained six transistors. Since the 1960s, the number of transistors contained on a chip has doubled about every 18 months. Modern chips contain billions of transistors.
The chips used in the Apollo Guidance Computer were produced by the Philco-Ford company at a plant in Landsdale, Pennsylvania. Before 1964, most integrated circuits were marketed to aerospace and defense customers.
Grumman workers assembling a lunar module. Notice the person installing fasteners from inside the lunar module.
Grumman technician Ken Crow attaches the commemorative Apollo 16 plaque to the leg of LM-11 Orion. After the ascent stage carried the two moonwalkers back to the command and service module, the base of the LM remained on the Moon.
GAL100_180408_060.JPG: Neil Armstrong's and Buzz Aldrin's walk on the Moon was a worldwide television event. What other global events have you watched?
Before the Apollo missions landed humans on the Moon, walking on another heavenly body was a dream, possible only in fiction. Apollo 11 made it a reality.
GAL100_180408_062.JPG: Lunar Module LM-2
This lunar module represents one of humanity's greatest achievements; landing people on another heavenly body.
Between 1969 and 1972, six lunar modules essentially identical to this one landed a total of 12 American astronauts on the Moon. This lunar module, LM-2, never flew in space. It was built for testing in low Earth orbit but was actually used on Earth to measure the LM's ability to withstand the forces of landing on the Moon. It is configured as LM-5, Apollo 11's lunar module Eagle.
The lunar module also symbolizes the United States' greatest triumph in the space race with the Soviet Union, part of the competition for technological supremacy and international prestige during the Cold War of 1945-91.
"We would like to give special thanks to all those Americans who built the spacecraft; who did the construction, design, the tests, and put their hearts and all their abilities into those craft. To those people tonight, we give a special thank you."
-- Neil Armstrong, July 23, 1969
GAL100_180408_065.JPG: Integrated Circuits for Apollo:
The newly invented integrated circuit, or silicon "chip," was among the many innovations in the lunar module's onboard computer. The astronauts used the computer to guide the LM to a safe landing. Silicon chips allowed the computer to meet the LM's weight, size, and power requirements.
Women were chosen for their manual dexterity to do the delicate work of attaching leads on chips. Each chip contained six transistors. Since the 1960s, the number of transistors contained on a chip has doubled about every 18 months. Modern chips contain billions of transistors.
The chips used in the Apollo Guidance Computer were produced by the Philco-Ford company at a plant in Landsdale, Pennsylvania. Before 1964, most integrated circuits were marketed to aerospace and defense customers.
GAL100_180408_068.JPG: Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin deploys a scientific package during the first Moon landing in 1969. Beyond him is lunar module LM-5. The photo was taken by Neil Armstrong, the first human to walk on the Moon.
Grumman Workers:
Lead engineer Tom Kelly's team at Grumman Aircraft on Long Island, New York, spent nine years engineering and building lunar modules for NASA. Like other workers who contributed to the Apollo program, they took great pride in their work. For Apollo 17, the final lunar landing in 1972, some "Grummies" hung a sign on the rocket: "This may be our last LM but it will be our best."
Grumman workers assembling a lunar module. Notice the person installing fasteners from inside the lunar module.
Grumman technician Ken Crow attaches the commemorative Apollo 16 plaque to the leg of LM-11 Orion. After the ascent stage carried the two moonwalkers back to the command and service module, the base of the LM remained on the Moon.
GAL100_180408_070.JPG: Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin deploys a scientific package during the first Moon landing in 1969. Beyond him is lunar module LM-5. The photo was taken by Neil Armstrong, the first human to walk on the Moon.Moon.
GAL100_180408_072.JPG: Women were chosen for their manual dexterity to do the delicate work of attaching leads on chips. Each chip contained six transistors. Since the 1960s, the number of transistors contained on a chip has doubled about every 18 months. Modern chips contain billions of transistors.
The chips used in the Apollo Guidance Computer were produced by the Philco-Ford company at a plant in Landsdale, Pennsylvania. Before 1964, most integrated circuits were marketed to aerospace and defense customers.
GAL100_180408_075.JPG: Women were chosen for their manual dexterity to do the delicate work of attaching leads on chips. Each chip contained six transistors. Since the 1960s, the number of transistors contained on a chip has doubled about every 18 months. Modern chips contain billions of transistors.
GAL100_180408_077.JPG: The chips used in the Apollo Guidance Computer were produced by the Philco-Ford company at a plant in Landsdale, Pennsylvania. Before 1964, most integrated circuits were marketed to aerospace and defense customers.
GAL100_180408_079.JPG: Grumman workers assembling a lunar module. Notice the person installing fasteners from inside the lunar module.
Grumman technician Ken Crow attaches the commemorative Apollo 16 plaque to the leg of LM-11 Orion. After the ascent stage carried the two moonwalkers back to the command and service module, the base of the LM remained on the Moon.
GAL100_180408_082.JPG: Grumman workers assembling a lunar module. Notice the person installing fasteners from inside the lunar module.
GAL100_180408_086.JPG: Grumman technician Ken Crow attaches the commemorative Apollo 16 plaque to the leg of LM-11 Orion. After the ascent stage carried the two moonwalkers back to the command and service module, the base of the LM remained on the Moon.
GAL100_180408_100.JPG: Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the moon
July 1969, A.D.
We came in peace for all mankind.
Neil A. Armstrong, Astronaut
Michael Collins, Astronaut
Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr., Astronaut
Richard Nixon, President, United States of America
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Description of Subject Matter: Milestones of Flight
July 1, 1976 – 2021
This gallery features famous airplanes and spacecraft that exemplify the major achievements in the history of flight.
Highlights include:
* Mercury Friendship 7: the first manned orbiting flight, carrying John Glenn, Feb. 20, 1962
* Gemini IV: the first U.S. space walk by Edward H. White II, June 3-7, 1965
* Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia: 1st manned lunar landing, 1969, carrying Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, and Michael Collins
* Goddard Rockets: a full-scale model of the world's 1st liquid propellant rocket, flown on March 16, 1926, and a large rocket constructed in 1941 by Robert Goddard, father of American rocketry
* Bell XS-1 (X-1) Glamorous Glennis: 1st manned flight faster than the speed of sound, flown by Chuck Yeager, Oct. 14, 1947
* Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis: Lindbergh's plane for 1st solo trans-atlantic non-stop flight 1927
* Explorer I: back-up model of 1st U.S. satellite to orbit the earth, 1958
* Sputnik I: Russian replica of 1st artificial satellite to orbit the Earth, 1957
* North American X-15: 1st winged, manned aircraft to exceed 6 times the speed of sound and the 1st airplane to explore the fringes of space, 1967
* Mariner 2: model of 1st spacecraft to study another planet when it flew by Venus, launched Dec. 14, 1962
* Pioneer 10 (prototype): 1st spacecraft to fly by Jupiter and 1st aircraft to venture beyond the planets, launched March 3, 1972
* Viking Lander: an unmanned proof test capsule used in ground tests before and during the Viking flights to Mars in 1976
* Bell XP-59A Airacomet (#1 of 3): 1st American turbojet aircraft, direct ancestor to all American jet aircraft, flown by Robert M. Stanley, Oct. 1, 1942
* Breitling Orbiter 3 Balloon Gondola: 1st balloon to fly around the world nonstop in 1999
* SpaceShipOne: 1st privately built and operated vehicle to reach space
A major renovation is now underway. The new Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall, to be ...More...
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2018 photos: Equipment this year: I continued to use my Fuji XS-1 cameras but, depending on the event, I also used a Nikon D7000.
Trips this year:
Civil War Trust conferences in Greenville, NC, Newport News, VA, and my farewell event with them in Chicago, IL (via sites in Louisville, KY, St. Louis, MO, and Toledo, OH),
three trips to New York City (including New York Comic-Con), and
my 13th consecutive trip to San Diego Comic-Con (including sites in Reno, Sacramento, San Francisco, and Los Angeles).
Number of photos taken this year: about 535,000.
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