Top Events of 3 Apollo Missions Leading to 'One Giant Leap for Mankind'

Artemis II left Earth's gravity on Wednesday, April 1 to embark on an historic voyage — to take the spacecraft around Earth's moon and in the process, deeper into space than any manned spacecraft has been — "to boldly go where no man has gone before."

But more than that, the 10-day voyage to the moon and back, the first in more than half a century, was meant to be a test run for NASA's plan for an upcoming lunar landing.

On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first person to step on the lunar surface during Apollo 11's voyage, declaring, "That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind."

But that voyage was preceded by three "test missions," Apollo 8, 9, and 0.

Here are the missions and top events of those three voyages.

Apollo 8 (December 21–27, 1968):

Apollo 8 was the first crewed spacecraft to leave Earth's orbit, reach and orbit the moon, and return safely to Earth. It was crewed by Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and William Anders. key mission achievements include:

• First Crewed Saturn V Launch (Dec 21, 1968): The crew successfully launched from Kennedy Space Center on the first crewed flight of the Saturn V rocket.
• Trans-Lunar Injection (TLI): After orbiting Earth 1.5 times, the third stage re-ignited to send the crew toward the Moon, making them the first humans to leave low Earth orbit.
• Lunar Orbit Insertion (Dec 24, 1968): The crew successfully executed a 4-minute burn to enter into orbit around the moon.
• Viewing the Far Side: The astronauts became the first humans to view the far side of the Moon with their own eyes.
• "Earthrise" Photo (Dec 24, 1968): During the fourth lunar orbit, William Anders took the famous "Earthrise" photo, showing Earth rising above the lunar horizon.
• Christmas Eve TV broadcast: The crew conducted a live broadcast, showing the lunar surface and reading from the Book of Genesis.
• Trans-Earth Injection (Dec 25, 1968): The spacecraft successfully fired its engine to leave lunar orbit and return to Earth.
• Successful Splashdown (Dec 27, 1968): The command module landed safely in the Pacific Ocean, completing the historic mission.

Apollo 9 (March 3–13, 1969):

Apollo 9 was the first crewed flight of all lunar hardware in Earth’s orbit, featuring the first crewed Lunar Module (LM) flight, docking, and "spacewalk," proving the LM "Spider" worthy. Top achievements include:

• First Crewed Flight of the Lunar Module: James McDivitt and Rusty Schweickart operated the LM independently in space for the first time.
• Successful Docking and Extraction: The mission demonstrated the crucial "transposition, docking, and extraction" maneuver, where the Command and Service Module (CSM) separated, turned, and docked with the LM, extracting it from the Saturn V's third stage.
• Dual Spacewalk (EVA): Rusty Schweickart performed a 46-minute EVA to test the Portable Life Support System (PLSS) backpack, and David Scott performed a "stand-up" EVA from the CSM.
• Engine and Systems Validation: The crew tested the LM's descent and ascent propulsion systems, firing them to prove they could land and lift off from the Moon.
• Emergency Rescue Simulation: The mission included simulating an emergency transfer of astronauts from the LM to the CSM.

Apollo 10 (May 18–26, 1969):

Apollo 10 was the "dress rehearsal" for the first crewed Moon landing, successfully testing all components (Command Module "Charlie Brown" and Lunar Module "Snoopy") in lunar orbit. Astronauts Thomas Stafford, John Young, and Eugene Cernan traveled to the Moon, with the Lunar Module coming within 8.4 nautical miles (15.6 km) of the surface.

• Final Rehearsal: Performed all actions of a landing mission except for the final descent and surface EVA (Moonwalk).
• Low Lunar Pass: Stafford and Cernan flew the LM "Snoopy" to within 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) of the lunar surface, testing the landing radar and descent/ascent engines.
• Speed Record: Set the Guinness World Record for the highest speed attained by a manned vehicle at 24,791 mph during reentry.
• Color TV: Performed the first live color television transmission from space.
• Lunar Orbit Operations: Successfully demonstrated the first crewed CSM/LM docking and undocking in a lunar environment.
• Site Survey: Photographed future Apollo 11 landing sites in the Sea of Tranquility.

These three missions ushered in the successful voyage of Apollo 11. The Apollo 11 command module was named Columbia, and the lunar module was named Eagle. Columbia served as the crew's living quarters for the journey, while Eagle carried astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the lunar surface.

Apollo 17 was the final Apollo mission to land on the moon, launching on Dec. 7, 1972, and landing in the Taurus-Littrow valley on Dec. 11, 1972. Astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt spent over three days on the surface, while Ronald Evans orbited above.

Meanwhile, Artemis II splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego on Friday, April 10, 2026, at 8:07 p.m. EDT, marking the end of a perfect mission (apart from an initial toilet hiccup).

Upcoming Artemis missions will aim to return humans to Earth’s moon and establish a sustainable presence.

Artemis III (targeted for mid-2027) will test commercial lunar landers in low Earth orbit, (much like Apollo 9 before) aiming for a 2028 South Pole landing, while Artemis IV (scheduled for 2028) will mark the first mission to the Gateway lunar space station, setting the stage for sustainable long-term lunar habitation.

Artemis V is projected to launch in late 2028, aiming to land four astronauts on the lunar South Pole and begin construction of a permanent lunar base.

Michael Dorstewitz is a retired lawyer and is a frequent contributor to Newsmax. He's also a former U.S. Merchant Marine officer and a Second Amendment supporter. Read more Michael Dorstewitz Insider articles — Click Here Now.