Introduction
Apollo 11 made history as the first space craft to land at the moon with human beings on board. The astronauts on board included Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin who had fulfilled President John F. Kennedy’s national goal of pioneering a human mission to the moon. The mission of Apollo 11 included a scientific exploration of the lunar module. In this mission, the astronauts were required to deploy a television camera that could send signals from the moon to the earth. Other instruments that were installed on the moon include solar wind composition experiment, and Laser Ranging Retroreflector. Armstrong and Aldrin were required to collect samples of the moo particles and return them to the earth surface for scientific study (NASA 1). They took photographs of the terrain of the moon, installed LM spacecraft and cameras that could take pictures while in motion. This study is a topical report on Apollo 11 mission which focuses on the content, appearance and structure of the four different sites covering the topic. These sites include the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Wikipedia, Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) and the National Air and Space Museum websites. The sites shall be discussed in the order in which they are listed.
NASA Site Content
According to NASA, Apollo 11 Mission was meant to achieve one primary objective which include crew landing on the moon and eventual return on the Earth. This was a goal set by the then president of the United States, John F. Kennedy. On May 25, 1969, the space craft had landed at the moon thereby justifying America’s pride as the first country to send her space crafts on a successful mission on the moon. NASA reports that the landing on the moon was meant to fulfill additional objectives. The astronauts on board were instructed to install exploration instruments on the moon and collect samples of the moon particles. These instruments would help in understanding the properties of the moon and inform future exploration adventures by NASA. NASA reports that about 530 million people watched as the Neil Armstrong described the events at the moon in a move that symbolized a significant discovery by mankind (NASA 1). The agency further observed that Apollo 11 was placed in a lunar orbit after the burning of S-IVB stage that took place for five minutes and 48 seconds. The astronauts made a second TV transmission on July 18, 1969.
Wikipedia Content
The report by NASA are captured in the free encyclopedia, the Wikipedia. Here, it is reported that Apollo 11 became the first space craft to land at the moon with humans. The landing took place at 2018 hours. Neil Armstrong was the first astronaut to disembark from the space craft and step on to the surface of moon (lunar). This event occurred after six hours from the time the space craft landed on the moon. Aldrin joined his colleague after 20 minutes. The two astronauts took 2hours and 15 minutes while outside the space craft during which they gathered about 22kg of materials of the lunar (Wikipedia 1). Wikipedia reports that Michael Collins commanded the spacecraft in the lunar orbit. This site reveals that Apollo 11 became the fifth attempt by NASA to have man land at the moon. The spacecraft consisted of a Command Module (CM), service module (SM), and the lunar module (LM). The CM had a cabin where the astronauts had sat. It is reported that the CM was the only part of the spacecraft that returned on the earth. The SM provided support for the CM with power, water and oxygen. The LM was “sent on the moon by Saturn V’s upper stage after which the astronauts landed at the Sea of Tranquility” (Wikipedia 1). Like NASA, Wikipedia also reveals that the astronauts took about 2 and a quarter hours before they landed back on the surface of the earth on July 24. The successful landing of the moon was in fulfilment of a national goal that president John Kennedy had made before the United States Congress. In that address, Kennedy the Congress that before the end of the decade, a U.S. national would land on the moon and make his safe return on the moon. Both Wikipedia and NASA agree on the composition of the crew. Neil Armstrong was the commander while Aldrin was the lunar module pilot. The command module pilot was Michael Collins.
The Lunar Planetary Institute holds a similar account to NASA and Wikipedia regarding the events that occurred in the mission. The LPI has included colored images of the successful mission on the lunar. In this site, the LPI reports that mission of the Apollo 11 was to “land two men on the lunar surface and return them safely to earth” (LPI 1). The site reveals that the launch of the spacecraft occurred at the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex at 0832 hours on July 16, 1962. Like NASA and Wikipedia reports, LPI reveals that the crew consisted of three individuals namely Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins. However, Wikipedia and LPI disagrees slightly with the time the spacecraft landed on the moon. While former reveals a landing at 2018hours, LPI records that the landing took place at 20:17:40 on the Mare Tranquillitatis (LPI 1). LPI highlights the exact location of the landing site by use of latitudes and longitudes. It is reported that the Eagle landed that at about 400 meters from a blocky crater. The site reveals the many tasks that Armstrong and Aldrin were required to fulfill before they could return to the surface of the earth. These tasks include collection of lunar samples, deploying experiments by use of instruments and taking photographs of the images of the lunar. For example, the image below describes the location where these activities took place.
(Source: LPI)
The purpose of the photographs was to give the scientists the chance to observe the events around the lunar. According to LPI, this event was historic and deserved to be kept in the archives to inform future scientific research and discovery. The images were evidences of a successful lunar landing and justified the extravehicular activities of the astronauts on board. LPI also reported that the scientific experiments were performed by the crew while on the lunar surface.
(Source: LPI)
LPI reported that the astronauts collected samples from the lunar surface. The site reports that about 22 kilograms of the materials were collected which included rocks and lunar soil. Upon experimentation, the samples lacked water and provided evidence of the absence of life in the lunar (LPI 1). At the landing site, Apollo 11 discovered basalts and breccias as the common rocks on the lunar.
(Source: LPI)
The National Air and Space Museum details the summary of events as they occurred before, during and after the landing on the surface of lunar. Like LPI, NASM reports that the launch took place at the Cape Kennedy at 13:32:00 UT ON July 16, 1969. The S-IVB engine was ignited to accelerate the spacecraft in a velocity that was critical in ejecting the instruments out of the surface of the earth. The site reports that insertion into the lunar orbit started at 75:50 GET. NASM reports that the lunar module was separated from CM at 100:14 GET after LM systems had been verified (NASM 1). The LM descent engine burned until it landed on the lunar. The actual time of flight before landing into the moon took 102 hours, 45 minutes and 40 seconds. Like all other three sites, NASM observes that the astronauts collected samples of materials from the lunar surface which comprises rocks and the lunar soil. These samples were tested using various instruments. They revealed that water did not exist in the lunar, thereby indicating that no life was supported on the lunar surface. In addition, the images that the NASM had put on the site reveal a bare ground that is unlikely to support the growth of vegetation. For example, the following image shows an astronaut after an American flag has been raised on the lunar.
(Source: NASM)
Appearance
The sites visited exhibited differences in appearance. Each site had its unique appearance. The NASA site comprises Apollo 11 crew portrait that expresses the essence of this mission. The portrait consist of an eagle landing on a relatively bare surface that is distant from the globe (earth). This image depicts the central idea of NASA during this mission. The responsibility of taking man to the moon rested squarely on NASA. In this regard, it symbolized NASA’s main mission. The site also contains the logo of NASA at the upper right corner. The color theme in the site represents NASA’s significance. The characteristic blue color is an indication of the organization’s rise to prominence. The appearance of the Wikipedia site doesn’t indicate anything new from other Wikipedia sites. The site also utilizes its characteristic white background with black and blue writings on it. The Lunar Planetary Institute also encompasses a blue theme. The site has various images which represent evidence of the Apollo 11 mission. These images are arranged in order to buttress the information contained as one reads through the paragraphs. Like LPI, the national air and space museum also consist of colored images that which express the historic mission by the spacecraft.
Structure
The structure of the sites have also differed in many ways. The NASA site has been divided into three sections. The first section is the main section which has detailed information about an aspect of Apollo 11 mission. This is fed by links that are located on the top side of the page and the left side of the page. It has been structured in a way that if one clicks on the links at the top and left side, information on that link comes to the main section. Therefore, anyone visiting the site for the first time can notice a wide range of information represented by the links. For example, the top section of the page has information relating to Topics, Missions, galleries, NASA TV, downloads among others while the left section consist of Apollo 11 HD videos and NASA history. The Wikipedia site contains an introductory statement that ushers the reader into the table of contents. The contents are structured in a manner that makes it easier for the reader to follow. For example, after giving a brief overview of Apollo 11 mission, Wikipedia focuses on the framework of the mission, mission highlights, moon race, and spacecraft location among others. The structuring of the site encompasses the use of links to guide readers who would like to explore more about the information given. For example, the name Neil Armstrong is written in blue colors to suggest that a click on it would give detailed information about the individual but in a different Wikipedia site. Like NASA website, LPI consists of top and left sections and a main section at the center of the page. The extreme sections contain many links that provide additional information beyond what has been given in the main section. The difference between the sites is that the LPI site has an organized main section that is further divided into sub headings. This structure and organization gives the reader an opportunity to follow up and understand the information provided. The site of the NASM is similar to NASA’s and LPI’s sites in the structure and organization. However, NASM site offers detailed information about other Apollo missions which these other sites do not give. For example, the links to Apollo 1, 7, 8 and 9 have been included for researchers who would like to further their research interests by exploring widely on the Apollo missions.
The study reveals that the four sites explored have insignificant differences in the content and structure. There is a strong relationship in these features in NASA, LPI and NASM than they are in Wikipedia. The differences in the content noted include differences in the time in which various events were said to have occurred. Other information regarding the place that the events took place are similar.
Works Cited
Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI). “Apollo 11 mission.” Web. 2016. Available at
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/missions/apollo/apollo_11/
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). “Apollo 11 mission overview.”
Web. 2015, September 17. Available at https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/missions/apollo11.html
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. “Apollo 11 (AS-506). Web. N.d. Available at
http://airandspace.si.edu/explore-and-learn/topics/apollo/apollo-program/landing-missions/apollo11.cfm
Wikipedia. “Apollo 11.” Web. 2016, May 9. Available at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_11
