How many times have people been to the moon? American astronauts on the Moon: scam or sensation? (10 photos)

We will talk about who and how many times traveled to the Moon, what it is like there and whether there are prospects for such “flights”. And about whether these flights took place at all...

Luna plays very important role in the existence of our planet, the Sun, of course, cannot be eclipsed by it, but without the Moon it is not a fact that our Earth would be alive at all.

A few words about the Moon.

Despite the debate about whether the Moon is a satellite of the Earth or an independent planet, it is now believed that it is a satellite of the Earth.

“The Moon is a natural satellite of the Earth. The planet's closest satellite to the Sun, since the planets closest to the Sun, Mercury and Venus, do not have satellites. The second brightest object in the earth's sky after the Sun and the fifth largest natural satellite of the planet solar system. The average distance between the centers of the Earth and the Moon is 384,467 km (0.002 57 AU, ~ 30 Earth diameters).

The Moon is the only astronomical object outside the Earth that has been visited by man.”

One of the most common versions of the origin of the Moon is that it is fragments of the celestial body Theia and the earth’s mantle that collided with the Earth. “As a result, most of the substance of the impacted object and part of the substance of the earth’s mantle were thrown into low-Earth orbit. From these fragments, the proto-Moon assembled and began to orbit with a radius of about 60,000 km (now ~ 384 thousand km). As a result of the impact, the Earth received a sharp increase in rotation speed (one revolution in 5 hours) and a noticeable tilt of the rotation axis.”

The moon is full of craters. The main hypotheses of their origin are volcanic and meteorite. Craters are named after great scientists and celebrities.

They began to study the Moon even before our era; for example, Hipparchus studied its movement. Closer to the 20th century, earthlings took a more thorough approach to the issue of developing the mysterious Earth satellite, but flights into space were still far away. In 1902, the first science fiction film in the history of cinema, “A Trip to the Moon,” was released in France (you can watch it at the link at the bottom of the article, duration 12 minutes). People, then still at a naive level, predicted a flight to the Moon and fantasized about how it could be.

The Russians were the first to explore the expanses of the Moon with their own eyes. In 1959, the Luna stations (1-2-3) went to the Moon.

“On September 14, 1959 at 00:02:24, the Luna-2 station for the first time in the world reached the surface of the Moon in the Mare Mons region near the craters Aristyllus, Archimedes and Autolycus.”

In the same year 59, the Luna-3 station “obtained” the first photo of the far side of the Moon, flying over a surface invisible from the Earth.

Luna 24 brought soil from the lunar surface to Earth in 1976 for important research.

List of US astronauts who walked on the Moon (12 people in total)

Charles ("Pete") Conrad, Alan Bean - 1969 (Apollo 12)

Alan Shepard, Edgar Mitchell - 1971 (Apollo 14)

David Scott, James Irwin 1971 (Apollo 15)

John Young, Charles Duke - 1972 (Apollo 16)

Eugene Cernan, Harrison Schmitt - 1972 (Apollo 17)

"Apollo 11"

So, in 1969, American astronaut Neil Alden Armstrong managed to set foot on the Moon, albeit in a spacesuit. On July 20, 1969, Armstrong accomplished what humanity had been preparing for for centuries, millennia, saying: “This is one small step for a man, but a giant leap for all mankind.”

20 minutes later, when Armstrong was already peacefully walking along the craters of the Moon, Buzz Aldrin (American aeronautical engineer, retired US Air Force colonel and NASA astronaut) joined the first person to disturb the peace of the Moon. This is the second person to walk on the moon.

These two astronauts were part of the Apollo 11 crew.

Apollo 11 (English: Apollo 11) is a manned spacecraft of the Apollo series, during the flight of which on July 16-24, 1969, the inhabitants of the Earth for the first time in history landed on the surface of another celestial body - the Moon.

Then the exit to the surface of the Moon by Armstrong and his partner Buzz Aldrin lasted as much as 2 hours 31 minutes 40 seconds.

“On July 20, 1969, at 20:17:39 UTC, crew commander Neil Armstrong and pilot Edwin Aldrin landed the spacecraft’s lunar module in the southwestern region of the Sea of ​​Tranquility. They remained on the lunar surface for 21 hours, 36 minutes and 21 seconds. All this time, command module pilot Michael Collins was waiting for them in lunar orbit. The astronauts made one exit to the lunar surface, which lasted 2 hours 31 minutes 40 seconds. The first man to set foot on the moon was Neil Armstrong. This happened on July 21, at 02:56:15 UTC. Aldrin joined him 15 minutes later.

The astronauts planted a US flag at the landing site, placed a set of scientific instruments and collected 21.55 kg of lunar soil samples, which were delivered to Earth. After the flight, crew members and lunar rock samples underwent strict quarantine, which did not reveal any lunar microorganisms.

The successful completion of the Apollo 11 flight program meant the achievement of the national goal set by US President John F. Kennedy in May 1961 - to land on the Moon before the end of the decade, and marked the victory of the United States in the lunar race with the USSR."

Many materials are devoted to the first steps of people on the Moon: “This happened at 109 hours 24 minutes 20 seconds of flight time, or at 02 hours 56 minutes 15 seconds UTC on July 21, 1969. Still holding onto the ladder with his hand, Armstrong placed his right foot on the ground, after which he reported on his first impressions. According to him, the small particles of soil were like powder that could easily be thrown up with the toe. They stuck in thin layers to the soles and sides of the moon boots, like crushed charcoal.

His feet sank into it quite a bit, no more than 0.3 cm. But Armstrong could see his footprints on the surface. The astronaut reported that moving on the Moon is not difficult at all, in fact it is even easier than during simulations of 1/6 gravity on Earth.”

Pictured are the Apollo 11 astronauts during the moon landing.

"Apollo 12"

The Apollo 12 spacecraft, which launched on November 14, 1969 and landed on the Moon—the second human encounter with the lunar surface—returned to Earth on November 24, 1969. Charles (“Pete”) Conrad and Alan Bean are the second astronauts to visit the Moon in person.

Pictured are the Apollo 12 astronauts during the moon landing.

"Apollo 14"

The launch of the ship, whose mission was the third visit to the Moon, took place on January 31, 1971. Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell were the third to visit the Moon. The astronauts made two walks to the Moon, during which they collected several dozen soil samples, a total of 23 kg of samples, brought “lunar” trees, seeds that had been luggage on the Moon and were then planted in the forests of America.

Pictured are the Apollo 14 astronauts during the lunar landing.

"Apollo 15"

Apollo 15 (English: Apollo 15) is the ninth manned spacecraft in the Apollo program, the fourth landing of people on the Moon. Crew commander David Scott and lunar module pilot James Irwin spent almost three days (just under 67 hours) on the Moon.

The total duration of three exits to the lunar surface was 18 hours 30 minutes. On the Moon, the crew used a lunar vehicle for the first time, driving it a total of 27.9 km. 77 kilograms of lunar soil samples were collected and then delivered to Earth. After the flight, experts called the samples delivered by this expedition the “richest catch” of the entire program, and the Apollo 15 mission “one of the most brilliant scientific point vision."

Pictured are the Apollo 15 astronauts during the lunar landing.

"Apollo 16"

The tenth manned flight of the Apollo program brought men to the Moon for the fifth time, dated April 16-27, 1972, the flight lasted just over 10 days.

“First landing in a mountainous area, on a plateau not far from the Descartes crater. This was the second J-mission, after Apollo 15, with an emphasis on Scientific research. The astronauts (like the crew of the previous expedition) had at their disposal a lunar vehicle, Lunar Rover No. 2.”

Pictured are the Apollo 16 astronauts during the lunar landing.

"Apollo 17"

It was the final flight of the Apollo program, the sixth and last landing of men on the Moon, the third scientific mission - December 7, 1972 - December 19, 1972.

The astronauts made three exits from the spacecraft total duration 22 hours 3 minutes 57 seconds. 110.5 kg of lunar rock samples were collected and brought to Earth.

Pictured are the Apollo 17 astronauts during the lunar landing.

In just over three years, the Americans made 6 landings on the Moon, and 12 people set foot on the lunar surface.

The latest missions were particularly productive in scientific terms: soil samples were obtained, including deep samples using drilling tools, the astronauts “drove” around the Moon in a special rover, made several trips in one flight, walked, left various objects as souvenirs, perhaps for foreign nations.

However, flights to the Moon ended abruptly in 1972; since then, only artificial vehicles have touched the surface of the Earth’s satellite. Why there are no attempts to fly to the Moon now is not clear, because astronautics has achieved much high altitudes than in the 1970s.

Retreat. The expression mentioned earlier in quotes - “lunar race” - is an extremely important action that can be translated to a philosophical and political level.

Do you think the Earth is just a planet, with certain areas of houses, forests, where people scurry around, wanting to win a bigger piece for themselves? And the Moon is an abstract mysterious halo that illuminates our Earth at night and about flights, which you can dream about when you want something unrealistic? Everything in this world (and not only in this, and not only in this Universe is possible), including the Earth and the Moon, are objects of self-affirmation of states, and this is primarily.

So many people are permeated by base instincts - the thirst for power, greed, vanity, etc. That’s why in the race to see who will be the first to fly to the Moon, who will extract the most oil on Earth, who will build the coolest skyscraper - everyone is frantically participating, in reality only a couple of states. Two states fought in the lunar race, two special states - the USA and the USSR.

There is another side to this race - nothing comes closer to progress than competition, conflict, and the desire for self-affirmation. And it is unknown where we would be with the exploration of the Moon if it were not for the hurt pride of states. But progress in this case goes over heads... corpses... and gives an example to all of humanity on how to achieve their goals.

What did we get with access to space? Scientists will note the many scientific achievements obtained thanks to man's flight into space and to the moon, achievements that are incredibly necessary for the development of both heavenly and earthly spaces. But I think there is one very important achievement, in addition to the material, we have become less afraid of the unknown. After all, people have lived for centuries in oblivion about the fact that there is Space and this round plate, illuminating the night. People know not only the number of planets in our Galaxy, but also photographs of celestial bodies have been taken, soil samples have been taken, and people are flying around the Earth. artificial satellites etc. The world has advanced, but what was more important to states was not the reduction of fear of the size and content of the Universe, but who would be the first to plant a flag on the Moon.

Yes, by the way, there is an opinion that the landing of people during the Apollo expeditions was falsified.

“Moon conspiracy” is a conspiracy theory, the central idea of ​​which is the assertion that during the “moon race” during the American space program “Apollo” (1969-1972), no people were landed on the moon, and photographs, filming and other documentary materials of the lunar expeditions were faked by the US government.

If there were no flights to the Moon (in the links under the article there are videos with documentaries about how we could be deceived, subtleties, details, technology), then why did America need all this? The point is clear - America wanted to be ahead by any means... And then so many material resources were allocated to the Apollo program that it was a shame to let the whole world down and not fly to the Moon. The whole masquerade was carefully thought out, played well, everyone involved signed non-disclosure documents...

If the Americans really haven’t been to the moon, then everything is ahead, and there are plenty of prospects.

Then the 1902 film A Trip to the Moon is right: going to the Moon is a great fantasy for the world. We fantasized just as we did a hundred years ago, so we do today... It’s just that the Americans played it a little more believably than the French.

We are still used to thinking that there was a man on the moon. In fact, nothing will change much for most of us if we find out the truth about whether man set foot on the moon or not. Therefore, you can believe in any truth.

What do you think, was there a man on the moon or not?

Hi all. Few people do not know the fact: Americans are the only earthlings to have walked on the Moon. This happened almost 50 years ago, on July 16, 1969, when the sensational news of a man walking on the surface of the Moon spread around the Earth. There was no limit to the general joy and rejoicing of the people! Over time, the world was filled with photographs, video footage, and objects of lunar origin delivered by the Americans to Earth.

And years later, they began to keep silent about the event and it turned out that this fact is not as clear and transparent as it seemed in those distant times of cosmic romanticism, some facts have become known that slightly do not fit into the picture of ideas and raise deep doubts about the lunar achievements of the Americans. What are the doubts? Was there any lunar expansion at all? This is what we will talk about.

Americans on the Moon

So, the Apollo 11 space complex, which consisted of the lunar module and the Saturn 5 launch vehicle, delivered three astronauts to the surface of the moon: Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin (Edwin Eugene) (they were the first and for the first time to descend to the surface of the Moon) and Michael Collins (he remained in orbit).

How many times have Americans been to the moon? According to irrefutable data from the US State Department, in the period from 1968 to 1972, Americans carried out 9 flights to the Moon under the Apollo program, some of which took place without landing astronauts. A total of 12 Americans have walked on the surface of the Moon, some of them having repeated walks.

Photo clickable

The scientific research program cost the country more than $25 billion - a colossal amount of money even for the richest country.

• During the program it was installed state flag USA, soil samples were taken, video and photo shooting was done, a capsule from the citizens of the Earth was laid on the surface of the earth’s satellite. Subsequently, the module launched, docked with the Apollo 11 spacecraft and returned safely to Earth.

• Of the Soviet space minds, no one doubted the fact of the flight to the Moon, except for General Designer Mishin, who replaced Korolev. Here's how the designer behaved:

“During the live report, he smoked all the time and repeated: “This is impossible, Apollo will not be able to break away from the earth’s orbit and head towards the Moon...” Read more here: https://sneg5.com/nauka/kosmos/na-lunu-amerikancy .html

• An authoritative opinion in defense of the American lunar adventures of our respected cosmonauts Grechko and Leonov, designer and cosmonaut Konstantin Feoktistov, who claim that Soviet tracking stations received signals from American astronauts from the Moon. In their opinion, this is impossible to fabricate. So did they accept it or not?
• Lunar soil - regolith weighing 22 kg from the first flight was delivered to Earth and distributed to many world scientific centers. The USSR also received its share of 25 grams and scientists analyzed it, the results absolutely confirmed the unearthly origin of the breed.
• The mass of photographs of the Moon provided by NASA, as well as the flight itself at that time, did not raise any doubts at the moment of human euphoria. Everything was perceived beyond suspicion. Exact description the hours and minutes of the entire lunar expedition look very reliable. Could ALL of this really be falsified? Could a great advanced country really commit a forgery of this magnitude? Well... I don’t know, it doesn’t fit in my mind...

Americans haven't been to the moon

Today, with the improvement of technology, questions began to arise regarding lunar images and video materials from that expedition, due to the appearance of some inconsistencies.

• Quite recently, the Japanese proved the “terrestrial” origin of the regolith provided by the United States, which the tricky Americans only radioactively irradiated in special installations their laboratories, passing off the earth's soil as regolith!
• Presumably, there is evidence that part of the “lunar filming” was carried out in Hollywood pavilions. Is it just a part? Or maybe the majority? The very first fact that comes to mind is the colorful fluttering flag of the United States, which in itself is incredible, because there is no atmosphere on the Moon.

• Image analysis close-up and made with perspective showed the different nature of the origin. This suggests that some of the photographs were taken from the module, above the surface of the Moon, and some in the terrestrial conditions of the pavilions, where the atmosphere of the Moon was recreated.
• NASA representatives themselves admitted to the fact of upthrowing photographs taken in terrestrial conditions, explaining this poor quality lunar negatives. Well, it hasn’t happened to anyone: they shot it a little and retouched it a little 🙂 But the main thing is that no one knew that in just about 30 years the almighty “Photoshop” would appear. When we added maximum brightness, contrast and magnification to the pictures, stripes of random light, previously unnoticed shadows from spotlights, traces of retouching appeared on them in all their glory... The program immediately highlighted all the sins of photomontage!
• And not so long ago, a new revelation appeared in the press: Scottish researcher Marcus Allen, analyzing supposedly real lunar photographs of two astronauts on the Moon, called them fake. He looked at the photo in the reflected glasses of the spacesuit, instead of one, two images. It turns out there were three of them there at the time of filming? But everyone knows from the reports that more than 2 people have never descended to the surface of the Moon. The earthly origin of the photo again?! So where are the real ones?

How do Americans respond to all this? Yes, nothing... as always, they turned around... they said that some of the photographs taken on the ground were added. Why and for whom were these cartoons made?

I think if fraud was discovered in at least one fragment, there is full reason call into question all flights.

• Here we can add the concealment of all original videos and photographic materials of that expedition and the classification of all “lunar reports” as “top secrecy”. And in 2009, a NASA representative finally stated that all the original films and video recordings of the first landing on the Moon were lost (only their copies were preserved). Well, are representatives of the most unique nation in the world really so careless? It’s somehow hard to believe in an accident...

• The astronauts’ well-being after landing and spending eight days in weightlessness (for the first time) is highly suspicious. Brave, fresh and smiling, they appeared in front of journalists’ cameras immediately after the flight. Then no one simply could know how a person might feel after a space flight of such a length. But already in October 1969, our Gorbatko, upon returning from a flight lasting only about 5 days, could not take a single step on his own, he was carried on a stretcher. The Russians couldn't walk on their own feet, but the Americans were super-hardy, please! No one could even suspect an entire state of planetary deception!
• And the most important trump card, which does not speak in favor of the States, is the level of equipment of the spaceship that time. The Americans claimed that they had built a new generation F-1 engine, the so-called liquid engine (kerosene-oxygen), Saturn had five of them. However, most likely there was no special type of engine, just as there is none now; even the design capabilities of modern engines do not allow landing on the moon, and even more so it was very problematic to do this half a century ago.
• If yes, there was such an engine, then where is it now? Why, after 50 years, do Americans still not use this model on their space rockets, but have been buying ours since the 90s - Soviet-era inventions? Just because they are cheaper? And where did the cool Apollos, which so famously delivered the Americans to the Moon, go? Why were they replaced by even more “advanced” Shuttles, which did not escape explosions over and over again?

And why is the lunar exploration program suspended today? Is it just the financial side of the issue? Have the states really fallen so sharply in their financial situation in 50 years?

• And also, if the flight to the Moon took place, then for what reason were 700 employees of the American Space Research Center fired in 1968, and a year after the first flight to the Moon, the head of this center himself was fired? Surely success should always be highly rewarded?
• And it’s doubtful that such a dashing, immediate rush to the moon, well, I can’t believe it... that such progress could be achieved in 8 years. And where is he now? After all, then no one could have imagined that humanity would advance so slowly in space exploration. Most likely, the Yankees were sure that flights to the Moon would become commonplace, and then they would present the world with a whole pile of evidence... It was important for them to be the first to stake a peg on the Moon, to demonstrate their, albeit false, success!

One can also provide and provide evidence of exposure and doubt... It is quite possible that Apollo 11, which flew to the Moon, separated the lunar module, which took a number of photographs from space. That's all that the Americans succeeded in exploring the Moon. And everything else became a matter of technique and skill. Well, I really wanted to keep up with my enemy in space exploration - the USSR. Although, of course, deceiving the whole world is also no small art.

More and more new opportunities developed modern technologies more and more point to the American-style Moon Fantasy. For expeditions of this kind, the main evidence of their authenticity is scientific research based on photo and film documents. There are no scientific reports, no deep analysis of materials from the US “Lunar Operation”, which means there was no presence on the Moon!

Conclusion

The Americans have not been to the moon! The question is practically on the surface, but the debate still does not subside, due to the fact that each side is now trying to defend only its own opinion. What about the Americans themselves? They believe that they do not need to stoop to such disputes. They were on the moon!

And it’s strange, the fact of our Yuri Gagarin’s first flight into space has never caused controversy or doubt among anyone. Why, years later, with the development of technology and technology, more and more questions arise about flights to the Moon... And why then did the USSR not dare to express its doubts, why has this not been done so far? Maybe in some miraculous way, with God's providence, the Americans were on the Moon?

July 3, 1969, Baikonur Cosmodrome. In the foreground is the Soviet lunar rocket N-1 (product No. 5L). In the background is a fitting rocket for testing ground systems launch (note that the try-on rocket does not have an emergency escape system).

The closure of the Soviet manned lunar flight program occurred in June 1974, at which time the entire cosmonaut corps was disbanded. The following month, the rockets ready for launch were cut into pieces. The destruction of the technological backlog led to a 15-year lag in the development of astronautics. What is to blame? Why did attempts to get to the moon stop?

It is often said that the industry of the USSR could not create a spacecraft to fly to the Moon, that there was no appropriate technological base. They also say that it was simply impossible to compete with the USA. But the main reason for the failure of the project, which cost 4 billion at 1974 prices. rub., was the inability of various departments to agree among themselves and the personal aspirations of some leaders.

The United States began the lunar program with one goal: to surpass the USSR after the Russians launched the world's first satellite, took pictures of the far side of the Moon, and were the first to launch a man into space. Landing man on the moon was the last chance. To achieve this goal, the best representatives of science were gathered, orders were given to the most suitable corporations in the absence of competition. The USSR usually followed this path.

The Soviet lunar program was just a response to the United States. The Moon itself was not of interest to the leaders of OKB-1 Korolev. But the United States issued a challenge and the USSR accepted it. rocket project N-1 became a continuation of the existing project, which was developed as a delivery vehicle hydrogen bomb and launching large-sized complexes into orbit, many times larger than the later Soyuz, Salyut and Mir.

The implementation of the lunar program was not economically feasible. But the CPSU Central Committee did not abandon it. According to the Government Decree issued in 1960, it was planned to create a new missile system for launching a heavy spacecraft weighing up to 60-80 tons into orbit, creating new rocket engines, control systems and space radio communications. In 1964 it was delivered new goal- a manned flight to the Moon and landing on its surface before the Americans.

The L-1 lunar project became the cause of a fierce struggle between the design bureaus of Korolev and Chelomey. The existing Proton launch vehicle could theoretically make a manned flight around the Moon, but the recollections of participants in the events indicate that Korolev refused to put cosmonauts on a poisonous rocket. The fact is that the fuel for Proton was heptyl, and the oxidizing agent was nitric acid. In Kazakhstan, many poisonings have been recorded among local residents, who used the first stages of Protons in their business. Official information stated that the use of Proton was abandoned due to too high overloads that the astronauts could not withstand.

A difficult test for the project was the conflict between Korolev and Glushko, as a result of which the latter abandoned the development of an engine for the rocket. The work was transferred to the Kuznetsov design bureau.

It was planned that two astronauts would participate in the lunar project, and only one would descend to the surface of the Moon, while the second was supposed to remain in orbit. The first person to walk on the moon was supposed to be A.A. Leonov, Yu.A. was supposed to act as an understudy. Gagarin. The N-1 launch vehicle was designed to deliver the Soyuz spacecraft with a manned lunar module into lunar orbit.

So why didn't it happen? One of the reasons was austerity. Four N-1 launches were unsuccessful due to the first stage, for which a test stand was not built. Since all first stage engines were tested separately, it was impossible to determine the cause of stage failure.

When it became known that the Americans were about to go to the Moon, Leonov was eager to fly, but he was not allowed in, which saved his life. N-1 launched on February 21, 1969 without a crew, six months before the launch of Apollo 11. The rocket exploded shortly after the flight began. The second attempt was carried out on July 3, 1969. The rocket exploded right on the launch pad, almost completely destroying the launch complex. Even then it became clear that we would not be the first to get to the Moon.

Korolev and Gagarin pass away. These two deaths were tantamount to the death of the Russian cosmonautics. And the point is not that there were no other talented designers and trained cosmonauts. Korolev and Gagarin were members of the Kremlin and their opinions were listened to. Korolev not only argued with anyone, regardless of rank, he knew how to present his project in such a way that the military advocated the need for its implementation. The first satellite was a beacon for ballistic missiles. He convinced the military that building a base on the Moon would allow them to keep the whole world under attack. He kept silent about the almost unaffordable cost of the project for the country. The military jumped at the idea. In addition, the N-1 rocket could launch into orbit stations weighing over 100 tons, such as the Zvezda station, which was conceived for military purposes.

Korolev knew how to use the needs and desires of the military for his own purposes, extracting funds for the implementation of his projects. For Korolev himself, the flight to the Moon was only the first step towards a flight to Mars.

The change of management in the design bureau did not bring anything good. Funding decreased significantly, the test stand was not built. The launch complex was restored, but subsequent attempts to launch the rocket were not successful due to the same reason for the failure of the first stage. And the Americans were already accepting congratulations on the successful landing on the Moon. The Soviet lunar program was curtailed, and Mars was also forgotten.

However, another attempt was made. The hopes of the Russian cosmonautics were pinned on the Energia rocket. The tests were successful. But the rocket was buried under the collapsed roof of the assembly and testing building at Baikonur. It put last point in Russia's plans. The United States has become a leader in space exploration. There is no point in trying to compete with them, spending hundreds of billions on flights.

Russia's leadership in space is a thing of the past due to the winding down of the lunar program and a change in leadership in astronautics. Today's undisputed leader is the United States. But if the country’s leadership had not forgotten Tsiolkovsky’s words that the one who conquered space would rule the world, the situation could have turned out differently.

Who can become the leader of tomorrow? Most likely China. Its space program is quite fantastic, the moon landing project should be completed with the construction of a lunar base by 2021. Many do not believe in the feasibility of this project, but China has already proven that it is capable of very unexpected actions, as evidenced by the ultra-fast growth of its economy.

Photo of the secret lunar program of the USSR

These photographic materials are some of the remaining evidence today that the USSR also tried to land a man on the Moon - obviously, after they could not do this, or, more precisely, did not have time to do it, the program was forgotten.

However, fortunately, few things disappear irrevocably and without a trace. The images we can see show one of the laboratories of the Moscow Aviation Institute, as well as aerospace equipment, including a spacecraft and a lunar landing module.

The history of the “Moon Race” is well known to many contemporaries: before American President John Kennedy initiated the launch of the Apollo program, Soviet Union noticeably ahead of the United States in matters of lunar exploration. In particular, in 1959 the automatic interplanetary station “Luna-2” was delivered to the surface of the Moon, and in 1966 a Soviet satellite entered its orbit.

Like the Americans, Soviet scientists developed a multi-step approach to accomplishing the task. They also had two individual modules for staying in orbit and for landing.

While the Apollo 11 crew included three members, the entire burden of the Soviet lunar program had to rest on the shoulders of one cosmonaut - thus, the weight of the equipment was significantly reduced. In addition, there were other differences that made the Soviet apparatus lighter. First of all, these include the comparative simplicity of the design, the use of the same engine for landing and takeoff, as well as the lack of a direct connection between the orbital and lunar module. This meant that the astronaut would need to do a spacewalk to transfer to the lander before landing and, later, to climb back into the orbital module after returning from the Moon. After this, the lunar module was disconnected, and the spacecraft was sent to Earth without it.

The main reason that prevented the Soviet side from landing a man on the Moon was failures with launch vehicles. Although the first two test launches were successful, the rocket crashed during the third. In the fourth test, conducted in 1971, the test spacecraft returned to Earth along the wrong trajectory, ending up in Australian airspace, which could have caused an international scandal: Soviet diplomats allegedly had to convince the Australians that the object falling on them was a test spacecraft. the Kosmos-434 module, not a nuclear warhead.

After several failures, the program became too expensive, and after the Americans presented the world with documentary evidence of the success of the Apollo 11 mission, it made no sense at all. As a result, space equipment has become something of a museum piece.

For a long time, people have been attracted by the excessive mystery and even mystical energy of the Moon. Let the celestial night body not warm, but rather inspire cold thoughts, unlike the Sun. However, it is just as important because it is the first and only natural companion of our planet. Many astronauts have spent half their lives preparing for and carrying out the mission. However, now, perhaps, even the most erudite person cannot say on the Moon, and especially how many people are yet to set foot on its surface.

The Moon is the Earth's twin

Our planet and its satellite are often called twins, but this is just a joke, since they are not similar in appearance, much less in size. The Moon's mass is only a fraction of the Earth's, about 0.0123, and its diameter is comparable to a quarter of Earth's (about 3,476 km). But even despite this difference, the night star is considered a fairly large satellite; only the satellites of Jupiter (Io, Gannymede and Callisto) and (Titan) surpass it in size. Along with more major planets The Moon ranks fifth in size among the satellites, while the Earth itself is in the same fifth place, but already in the list of heavyweight planets. Such a coincidence is quite rare. Surely all the research could not be so reliable if we did not know how many people have already visited the Moon and contributed to the knowledge of this unusual celestial body.

So why are the Earth and its satellite double planets? Superstitious astronomers believe that such differences in size are extremely small, because if we take, for example, Mars with its Phobos, the largest of all the “closers” of the Red Planet, then it is so small that, if it were in the place of the Moon, not only terrestrial residents, but even special equipment would not be able to see it.

Who was the first to walk on the moon?

Every schoolchild knows famous photograph, showing the legendary installation on the surface of our satellite. Everyone also knows the name of this man - Neil Armstrong. But how many people were on the Moon after him and did anyone dare to leave their mark on the dusty surface of the night star before that? Of course, many scientists and engineers worked on creating specialized devices for landing on the Moon, but still their attempts were unsuccessful. One can only imagine the joy such a breakthrough brought to the American government and how happy they were to finally overtake the Soviet Union.

Be that as it may, after Yuri Gagarin’s flight into space, efforts were devoted to building a rocket the best engineers, purchased best resources, created again Better conditions in order to become better.

So, thanks to the desire to succeed in the long-term struggle, in 1969 the command was given from Earth to launch the American Apollo 11, and, without a doubt, the ship went into space with a crew of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. But whether he landed on the Moon and how the famous photograph was taken is still unclear. But still, after this, the Americans were proud that they were the people who had walked on the Moon. The photo was distributed in all newspapers, on all channels and advertising stands. The Americans were proud of their victory over the USSR and showed it as best they could.

How many people, so many opinions

While the Americans showed a “live report” from space to the whole world, where astronauts plant their flag, the Russians and Chinese bit their elbows, because they were denied such an honor. How many people were on the Moon that year, whether they were there and how to prove it, still remains a mystery, because there are a lot of reasons for doubt.

Firstly, several months before the decisive flight, during testing, the equipment was seriously damaged, as it was not brought to perfection. It was simply impossible to repair it in such a short time, but the flight took place and was very successful.

Secondly, Soviet satellites during their patrols earth's surface In the Nevada desert, fake lunar craters were noticed, and the territory looked like the real Moon, so the conclusion was made that the Americans really beat the Russians in the competition of cunning.

Thirdly, a flag stuck into the surface of the moon flutters in the wind, but where did the wind come from there? And finally, the shadows fall in different directions, this is really strange, because they didn’t bring lamps and spotlights with them from Earth to make the pictures more successful?

Points of view

As far as we know, doubts did not begin immediately; at first, even the most inexperienced believed that the landing on the earth’s satellite had actually taken place, but this did not last long, because surprise passes over time, giving way to common sense. After some time, even literature began to appear, they began to film documentaries, and those who were too bold directly expressed their opinion about whether the production was of high quality or not.

Skeptics are divided into two camps: some believe that the astronauts did not even board a rocket, let alone fly into space, and the landing on the moon, in their opinion, was due to the professionalism of the editors. The latter turned out to be realists and decided that the flight into space was accomplished, but the astronauts probably only flew around the Moon.

No matter how many doubts there are and no matter how much more evidence of deception is found, the Americans are still the people who walked on the moon. Russian cosmonauts have not yet added their names to the list, perhaps this will happen in the near future.

List of people who walked on the Moon

According to official data, 12 US astronauts have landed on the Moon. Probably, of all the people who officially flew to the Moon, only Neil Armstrong is known, and this is completely understandable, because, as they say, after returning to his homeland in 1969, all the laurels went to him, since he was the first to leave the spacecraft. But there were other people who visited and the names of these “lucky ones” today in open access, since for now our country’s space competitions with the United States have stopped.

The first landing was carried out by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on July 21, 1969 and lasted more than 21 hours. The first flight gave rise to the second, the rocket carried two astronauts: Charles Conrad and Alan Bean, they stayed on the Moon for 31 hours and 31 minutes. Subsequently, the following people landed on the Moon:

• Alan Shepard;
• Edgar Mitchell;
• David Scott;
• James Irwin;
• John Young;
• Charles Duke.

Over the years, the amount of time spent in zero gravity increased, the highest being the last flight in 1972 by Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt. They stayed in the night light for 75 hours.

Facts about the Earth's satellite

We cannot say for sure how many people have been on the moon and whether there is any point in distrusting the Americans. It is better to vouch for already verified facts. For example, in fact, the satellite does not rotate around the Earth, it always moves next to it at the same speed. Also, few people know that during a space expedition in 1971, tree seedlings were taken from the surface of the Moon; now they grow in the United States.

American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first earthlings to land on the moon.

Let's talk about them.

Neil Alden Armstrong

Neil Alden Armstrong(19300805) - American NASA astronaut ( National Aeronautics and Research Administration outer space) , test pilot, aerospace engineer, university professor, US naval aviator, first man to set foot on the Moon on July 21, 1969 during the Apollo 11 lunar mission.

Initial biography

Neil Armstrong was born in 1930 in Wapakoneta, Ohio, into the family of a state government auditor. He is of Scots-Irish and German descent. Due to his father's work, the family often moved from city to city until they settled in Wapakoneta in 1944. Neal was active in the Boy Scouts of America and began studying aeronautical engineering at Purdue University in 1947. The state paid for his college education, and in return, Neil was obliged to serve 3 years in the army after two years of study. Upon graduation from the University, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in aviation technology. And in 1070 he received a Master of Science degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Southern California.

Path to space

He served in the US Navy at the Lewis Research Center as a test pilot, testing jet aircraft. He took part in the Korean War, flew 78 combat missions in a fighter-bomber and was shot down once. Was awarded: Air Medal and two Gold Stars.

In 1958, he was enrolled in a group that was preparing to fly an experimental rocket plane; in 1960, his first flight took place. In total, he made 7 flights, but soon became disillusioned with these flights and left the group. But already in September 1962 he was enrolled in the 2nd class of NASA astronauts.

First space flight

Armstrong's first flight took place in March 1966: he was the commander of the crew of the Gemini 8 spacecraft. He and astronaut David Scott performed the first docking of two spacecraft (with an unmanned Agena target rocket). The flight was aborted early due to a serious malfunction in the ship's attitude control engine system, which threatened the lives of the astronauts.

Second space flight to the Moon

In July 1969, Armstrong commanded the crew of the Apollo 11 spacecraft, whose mission was the first-ever landing on the Moon. On July 20, he became the first person to set foot on the surface of the Moon. Read about this flight on our website: First flight to the Moon. Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin spent two and a half hours on the lunar surface.

Visit to the USSR

In 1970, Neil Armstrong visited the USSR: he was in Leningrad at the conference of the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) at International Council in science. After the end of the conference, he, accompanied by cosmonauts Georgy Beregovoy and Konstantin Feoktistov, visited Novosibirsk and then Moscow, where he spoke at the SSS Academy of Sciences. Armstrong later told reporters that the most touching and exciting things for him during his entire stay were meetings with Valentina Gagarina and Valentina Komarova, widows of the deceased cosmonauts.

After the end of space activities

Armstrong left his job at NASA in 1971, until 1979 he taught at the University of Cincinnati, was a member of the National Space Committee, and vice-chairman of the investigative commission that studied the circumstances of the death of the Challenger shuttle. He was engaged in business.

In 1999, he took part in the television project “BBC: Planets” as an expert.

On August 7, 2012, Armstrong underwent coronary artery bypass surgery. But due to complications that arose after the operation, he died on August 25, 2012.

His family issued a remarkable statement on his death, ending with the words: “...to those who may be asking how they can pay tribute to Neil, we have a simple request. Honor the example of service, achievement and humility he set. And the next time you step outside on a nice evening and see the moon smiling at you, think of Neil Armstrong and wink at him.”

And astronaut Michael Collins said very simply: “He was the best, and I will miss him terribly.”

Buzz Aldrin

Buzz Aldrin (Edwin Eugene Aldrin Jr.)- American aeronautical engineer, retired US Air Force colonel and NASA astronaut. Participant in the Korean War. Served as lunar module pilot for the Apollo 11 mission, which made the first manned landing on the Moon. . On July 21, 1969, he became the second person to set foot on the Moon, after mission commander Neil Armstrong.

Early biography

Edwin Aldrin was born in 1930 in the small town of Glen Ridge, New Jersey in the family of officer Edwin Eugene Aldrin Sr. The Aldrin family has Scottish, Swedish and German roots. After graduation in 1946 high school in Montclair, he entered the US Military Academy at West Point. Aldrin got the nickname “Buzz” as a child: his younger sister could not pronounce the word “brother” and shortened it to “buzzer”, and then “buzz”. In 1988, Aldrin officially changed his name to Buzz.

After graduating from the Military Academy in 1951, he received a bachelor's degree in technical sciences. In the same year he entered military service in the US Air Force, passed flight training as a fighter pilot. In 1953, he took part in the Korean War as a pilot of the F-86 Saber aircraft. He flew 66 combat missions and shot down two MiG-15 aircraft.

Path to space

In October 1963, Aldrin joined NASA's third group of astronauts.

First flight

He first went into space as a pilot of the Gemini 12 spacecraft from November 11 to 15, 1966 (the ship's commander was James Lovell, later the commander of the heroic Apollo 13 flight). This was the last flight of the Gemini series ship, during which it made 59 revolutions around the Earth.

The main purpose of the flight was to approach and dock with the Agena-XII target, lift it into an orbit at an altitude of 555.6 km and enter outer space. Secondary tasks: 14 different experiments, practicing docking maneuvers and automatic landing. Aldrin made three successful spacewalks, during which he practiced his skills in moving and performing various tasks, and in one of the exits, a cable was attached to the Agena hull. Using the attached cable, gravitational stabilization of the Gemini-Agena ligament was carried out. The duration of the exit was 5 hours 30 minutes. This flight proved that astronauts can work effectively in outer space. Aldrin became the first person to walk into outer space three times.

In subsequent years, he served as a crew backup twice.

Second flight

In January 1969, Aldrin was appointed lunar module pilot for Apollo 11. On July 21, 1969, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin became the second person to set foot on another celestial body, taking a kilometer-long walk on the surface of the Moon. This was his fourth trip into airless space, breaking his previous world record.

Buzz Aldrin is a supporter of the Presbyterian Church. After landing on the moon, he reported to Earth: “I would like to take this opportunity to ask everyone who can hear me to reflect on the events of the last hours and give thanks in the most appropriate way for everyone.” At the same time, Aldrin, using his rights as an elder of the Presbyterian Church, held a short private service with communion.

After NASA

After retiring from NASA in July 1971, Aldrin became director of the Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base in California. In March 1972, after 21 years in the Air Force, Aldrin retired. The stress of preparing for the flight and the shock of the very fact of landing on the moon had a negative effect on Aldrin. There was no longer a goal comparable to a flight to the moon. He became depressed and started drinking a little. As a result, he had to go to a San Antonio hospital for treatment. His autobiographical books Return to Earth and Magnificent Devastation, published in 1973 and 2009 respectively, chronicle his struggles with clinical depression and alcoholism in the years after leaving NASA. His life changed significantly when he married Lois Cannon for the third time in 1987.

After leaving NASA, he continues to promote space exploration. In 1972 he founded a consulting company and became its president. In 1985, he became a professor at the Aerospace Science Center at the University of North Dakota. In 1996, he founded the company in Laguna Beach and is its president.

He sees NASA's goal in the next two decades as returning to the Moon and then going to Mars.