There seem to be a lot of questions about the moon...here's another one!

Why haven't there been more lunar landings in recent years?

The last landing on the Moon took place in December of 1972. At first, people were very excited about landing on the moon. Then Americans lost interest in going to the moon, because there was too much going on here on Earth. People were concerned with th e civil rights movement and the Vietnam War.

Missions to the Moon just started again. The Clementine orbiter was launched in 1994. It made maps of the moon. The Lunar Prospector is to be launched in September 1997. This satellite is going to see if the Moon has ice at its poles like the Earth does.

Early next century man will return to t he Moon. Astronauts, scientists, and engineers will set up a colony there. Some people want to call it Moon Town!

There seem to be a lot of questions about the moon...here's another one!

Why haven't there been more lunar landings in recent years?

The last manned lunar landing took place in December of 1972. The mission was Apollo 17. Despite the public's interest in the first lunar landing in 1969, NASA's budget was cut in 1971 to the lowest level in nine years. Because of this budget cut, Apol lo 18, 19, and 20 were cancelled.

Soon after the first landing on the Moon, there was no longer public support for space exploration. U.S. President Nixon, Congress and the press soon followed in showing disinterest for the space program.

Exploration of the Moon could no longer hold Americans' attention. There were just too many things happening closer to home. The years of Apollo were also the years of the civil rights movement, and the years of political unrest with Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy being slain, along with thousands of Americans in Vietnam.

Lunar exploration has just recently started again. The Clementine orbiter was launched in January 1994 in order to map the moon more thoroughly. The Lunar Prospector is to be launched in September 1997. It is designed to study polar ice deposits and the moon's gravity fields. It is still thought that early next century man will return to the Moon, this time for good. Astronauts, scientists, and engineers will set up a permanent base t o support astronomical and mining activities. It has been fondly termed Moon Town!

There seem to be a lot of questions about the moon...here's another one!

Why haven't there been more lunar landings in recent years?

The last manned lunar landing took place in December of 1972. The mission was Apollo 17. Despite the public's interest in the first lunar landing in 1969, NASA's budget was cut in 1971 to the lowest level in nine years. Because of this budget cut, Apol lo 18, 19, and 20 were cancelled.

A Newsweek poll taken only months after the first lunar landing in October 1969, showed that 56% of Americans thought the government should be spending less money on space exploration, and only 10% thought the government should be spending more money. T here was no longer public recognition of the benefits of space (or lunar) exploration. U.S. President Nixon, his administration, Congress and the press soon followed in showing disinterest for the space program.

Exploration of the Moon could no longer hold Americans' attention. There were just too many things happening closer to home. The years of Apollo were also the years of demonstration for the civil rights movement, the years of political unrest with Marti n Luther King and Robert Kennedy being slain, along with thousands of Americans in Vietnam.

Lunar exploration has just recently rebounded. The Clementine orbiter was launched in January 1994 in order to map the moon more thoroughly. The Lunar Prospector is to be launched in Sep tember 1997. It is designed to study possible polar ice deposits and the moon's faint gravity fields. The next lunar landings are projected to be by the Lunar-A unmanned penetrators in 1999. It is still thought that early next century man will return t o the Moon, this time for keeps. Astronauts, scientists, and engineers will set up a permanent base on the Moon. It has been fondly termed Moon Town!

Last modified prior to September, 2000 by the Windows Team

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