Apollo program

Cultural  

1. A series of space flights undertaken by the United States with a goal of landing a man on the moon. Each Apollo flight carried a crew of three astronauts. The first lunar landing by humans was achieved by Apollo 11 on July 20, 1969. Five other successful lunar landings followed. The Apollo program ended in 1974. It was named after the Greek god of learning, Apollo.

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Neil Armstrong was the first man to set foot on the moon.

Example Sentences

The Apollo program relied on a single rocket, the Saturn V, which carried both the lunar lander and the capsule carrying the astronauts.

From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026

He explained that since the Apollo program in the 1960s and 1970s, robotic explorers have mapped the far side of the Moon.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

Few even realize how hard it was to pull off the Apollo program.

From Slate • Dec. 9, 2025

And without a pressing geopolitical threat, Congress may be unwilling to spend more on space exploration, as it did during the 1960s with the Apollo program, Forczyk said.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 14, 2024

After the flight, Ed White was transferred to the Apollo program, but I was assigned as prime crew, with John Young, on Gemini 10.

From "Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story" by Michael Collins