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

When the Apollo program ended in 1972, we children couldn’t comprehend budget constraints or having bested our Soviet rivals in a long-running “space race.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 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

As four astronauts whiz toward a flyby of the Moon, looking out for them are mission control experts using cutting-edge technology and lessons learned from the Apollo program 50 years ago.

From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026

It’s a familiar tension in Black America: The Apollo program began during the peak of the civil rights movement.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

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