Space

Science

Space Spinoffs: The Technology To Reach The Moon Was Put To Use Back On Earth

8:42am July 20, 2019

Project Apollo spurred on a technological revolution — everything from advances in food packaging to computers. Fifty years later, we are still reaping the rewards.

Science

'Fresh Air' Commemorates The 50th Anniversary Of Apollo 11's Moon Landing

1:44pm July 19, 2019

by Terry Gross

We listen to archival interviews with Michael Collins, of Apollo 11; Alan Shepard, the first American in space; Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield; and Chuck Yeager, who first broke the sound barrier.

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Science

Key Moments To The Lead-Up Of Apollo 11 Moon Landing

10:02am July 19, 2019

NPR's Noel King talks to historian Andrew Chaikin about the things that went wrong during the Apollo 11 moon landing. He wrote: Man on the Moon: The Voyages of the Apollo Astronauts.

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American aerospace engineer John Houbolt as he stands at a chalkboard in July 1962 showing his lunar orbit rendezvous plan for landing astronauts on the moon.

Science

Meet John Houbolt: He Figured Out How To Go To The Moon, But Few Were Listening

8:00am July 18, 2019

by Scott Neuman

In the early 1960s, NASA was considering three different ideas for landing a man on the lunar surface. Houbolt's plan ultimately won out despite concerns within NASA that it was too risky.

Science

Telescope In Chile's Mountains Looks For Signals To Explain How The Universe Began

5:19pm July 17, 2019

by Joe Palca

There's a telescope high up in the mountains of Chile that's looking for signals from the earliest moments of the universe. Finding these signals would be key to explaining how the universe began.

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The crew of Apollo 11 is picked up after its splashdown.

Science

Seeing Apollo Through The Eyes Of Astronauts

8:00am July 17, 2019

by Ryan Kellman

Five former NASA astronauts who flew on space missions reflect on some of the awe-inspiring photos from Apollo 11, the first lunar landing flight.

The Smithsonian celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch by projecting a 363-foot multi-park visual rocket.

National

For Apollo 11's Anniversary, The Washington Monument Becomes A Rocket

11:44pm July 16, 2019

Fifty years after the Saturn V rocket carried the astronauts to the moon, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum honors the historic mission with a giant holograph.

Native Hawaiians have objected to construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope for years. On Monday, about 300 protesters arrived to block workers from accessing the site on a mountain believed to be sacred land.

Hawaii Protesters Block Access Road To Stop Construction Of Massive Telescope

6:27pm July 15, 2019

by Vanessa Romo

Native Hawaiians chained themselves to a grate in a road to stop work on the controversial Mauna Kea project on what they say is sacred land. Development is scheduled to begin this week.

Jim Bridenstine became NASA administrator in April 2018. He says that before the space agency can send humans to Mars, it has to get them back to the moon.

50 Years After Apollo 11 Moon Landing, NASA Sets Its Sights On Mars

4:16pm July 15, 2019

by Mary Louise Kelly

As the world looks back at the Apollo mission, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine looks ahead to the "moon shot" of the modern era: landing a human on Mars.

Astronaut Alan L. Bean holds a container filled with lunar soil collected during the extravehicular activity in which astronauts Charles Conrad Jr., commander, and Bean, lunar module pilot, participated.

Science

The Camera That Went To The Moon And Changed How We See It

12:53pm July 13, 2019

by Scott Neuman

Astronaut Walter Schirra's decision to bring a Swedish-made Hasselblad on his Mercury spaceflight set the course for NASA's choice of the camera for the Apollo lunar program.