Saturn V

Legendary Countdown Preceded the First Moon Landing Mission

By Bob Granath | February 8, 2024

A countdown first was used as part of a rocket’s launch to the Moon in the 1929 science-fiction movie “Frau im Mond” (Woman in the Moon). Ironically, a countdown led to the voyage of Neil Armstrong, Mike Collins and Buzz Aldrin completing the first mission to actually land humans on the Moon 40 years later. The day Apollo 11 lifted off on its extraordinary flight, July 16, 1969, hundreds of millions on every continent around the world watched and listened on live television to what became the most famous countdown.

Launch Countdown Tradition Began with a Silent Movie

By Bob Granath | January 26, 2024

The familiar count backwards to zero leading to the launch of a rocket did not originate with missiles fired from Cape Canaveral. It began with an Austrian filmmaker recruiting a spaceflight pioneer to recommend ways to add drama and realism to a 1929 science-fiction movie about a fictitious trip to the Moon. German rocket enthusiasts soon began including countdowns to their rocket tests. It later continued in their work in the U.S. leading to the historic first actual lunar flight by humans.

SFA Message: Everyone Plays Role in Flight Safety, Mission Success

By Bob Granath | June 26, 2023

With the beginning of Project Mercury, NASA initiated efforts to stress the new program was more than hardware. Rockets and spacecraft had been launching from Cape Canaveral for the better part of a decade. The new flight safety emphasis focused on missions including people. The purpose was simple, but crucial. Everyone involved in human spaceflight plays a role in flight safety and mission success.

Final Apollo Lunar Landing was ‘A Tribute to American Ingenuity’

By Bob Granath | December 13, 2022

NASA is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the final Moon landing of the Apollo Program. The results of the 12-day Apollo 17 mission, flown in December 1972, led to some of the most significant findings of the first efforts of lunar exploration. The agency’s endeavor to continue exploration of the Earth’s nearest celestial neighbor recently began anew with the spectacular flight of Artemis 1, helping pave the way for astronauts to return to the Moon.

The U.S. Edges Ahead in the Race for Space, Shoots for the Moon

By Bob Granath | November 28, 2022

The “Space Race” between the United States and the Soviet Union remains an often studied and debated period of the 20th Century. While the Russians began with a lead, once challenged, the leadership of President John F. Kennedy resulted in Americans surpassing their Cold War rival on the way to the Moon. While the effort was politically motivated, the technology that came from space exploration built the modern world.

Space Center’s Visitor Complex: A Window into NASA Operations

By Bob Granath | July 27, 2022

n the summer of 1966, America’s space program raced forward with Gemini flights in Earth orbit while new facilities were built to meet President John F. Kennedy’s goal of landing a man on the Moon. During that time, NASA provided an opportunity to view work going on inside the gates of the agency’s Kennedy Space Center. In years to come, the visitor complex became one of the premier attractions in Florida.

Kennedy Space Center: Celebrating 60 Years of Launching the Future

By Bob Granath | July 20, 2022

In the decade after the first rocket lifted off into the skies above Cape Canaveral, the launch site became the focal point of America’s efforts to explore beyond Earth. To meet President John F. Kennedy’s goal of landing a man on the Moon, a expansive new site was needed. That location became NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, a premier multi-user spaceport now commemorating its 60th anniversary.

‘Triple T’ Part of a Long Line of Teams Ensuring Safe Missions

By Bob Granath | May 4, 2022

During the 30-year history of the Space Shuttle Program, many important payloads were launched. From the Hubble Space Telescope to the International Space Station, history was made. However, the most crucial cargo was human. The team assigned to ensure crews were safely sealed into their spacecraft before they rocketed into orbit was the Closeout Crew led by Travis Tod Thompson.

Apollo 16 Explores the Moon’s Mysterious Descartes Highlands

By Bob Granath | April 5, 2022

“That’s the most gorgeous sight I believe I have ever seen,” said Apollo 16 lunar module pilot Charlie Duke. He was looking at a 363-foot-tall Saturn V rocket on the launch pad the day before it rocketed him the Moon. Duke, along with veteran astronaut John Young and fellow rookie Ken Mattingly, piloted NASA’s fifth lunar landing mission in April 1972 – 50 years ago.

Ambitious Apollo 15 Mission Took Lunar Exploration to the Next Level

By Bob Granath | July 29, 2021

During the summer of 1971, 50 years ago, three astronauts made the most of three days on the Moon’s surface and in lunar orbit. With the opportunity for more detailed exploration and the addition of “dune buggy”-like transportation, Apollo 15 was the most complex flight to date.

Tag: Saturn V