by Susannah Orwoll, NonFiction Editor
On July 20, 1969, the world watched as two human beings -- for the first time in recorded history -- set foot on the surface of the Moon. Everyone knows that date if they know anything about space history at all. Firsts are always the most dangerous, the most exciting, and the most famous. Space travel and the Apollo program have been a focus of inspiration and scientific advancement for many years and have inspired hundreds of works of art and literature.
However, it is sometimes hard for people to remember that there were other Apollo missions after that one that did not involve a later film starring Tom Hanks. In fact, there were five missions following Apollo 11 that landed on the surface of the Moon and conducted dozens of valuable scientific experiments that the programs still rely on to this day. In some ways, it is the reliable everyday aspect of those missions that is the most astounding to me. Everyone was so stunned by that first that it quickly became...routine. How incredible that travel to the Moon was something people just did. One of the most startling human attributes is the ability to get used to anything.
Sometimes it is strange to think that it has only been a little over fifty years since the historic first time, but the days travel on and we are approaching the 50th anniversary of the tenth manned Apollo mission and the fifth to land on the Moon, Apollo 16. A fairly unremarkable mission, it broke no news-worthy ground like Apollo 11 and went smoothly without any high-adrenaline risk like Apollo 13. However, this mission was straightforward at every step. Launching from Earth went well, separating the stages of the Saturn V much the same. The lunar module and the command module separate peacefully, the command module to continue orbit with the pilot inside, and the lunar module to take two astronauts to the surface. Geology experiments to perform without mention and special imaging cameras to test easily. The ascent stage of the lunar module splitting off to return to the command module for a homeward trip with undistinguished docking. Safe landing. Nothing new. However, this mission did see some small firsts of its own. There was a special imaging camera that served as an observatory placed on the Moon, the first of its kind and the first piece of technology on the Moon invented by an African American scientist.
This is slightly different than what DiN normally focuses on, but I think it is important to remember the small successes that maybe no one remembers. The journeys to space that took place in those early days, while not works of fiction, are still beautiful fingerprints on the history pages. Someone I knew once said the space program is the closest that science will ever come to being pure art and I am inclined to agree with them. As the Artemis program -- which will see the first woman and person of color onto the Moon -- begins to appear on the horizon, we can look forward to what our generation will find in the stars. What obstacles will we be able to hurtle? What mysteries will we uncover? What will we be able to call our "first"? Most of all, what will become routine? So, on this day, let us celebrate our rich history in space and look forward to what tomorrow may bring. Let the success of Apollo inspire you and dip your own paintbrush into the stars.
To know more, visit https://www.nasa.gov/feature/50-years-ago-apollo-16-returns-to-the-launch-pad and other NASA articles.
Susannah Orwoll is a student at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor's in English with a focus on Creative Writing, as well as a Minor in Linguistics. She has been writing since her youth and aspires to become a children's science-fiction and fantasy author and has a passion for space history and astronomy. Susannah is set to graduate in the spring of 2022.
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