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SpaceOdysseyHub · Mission Worksheet

Apollo 11: One Small Step

Ages 5–10 · Ages 11–14 · Ages 14–18 · 40 min · spaceodysseyhub.com/replays/apollo-11

Name: Date:

Mission objectives

  • Sequence the major events of Apollo 11 from launch on July 16 to splashdown on July 24, 1969
  • Explain the roles of the three astronauts and the two spacecraft — why Collins stayed in Columbia while Armstrong and Aldrin flew Eagle to the surface
  • Analyze the final descent as decision-making under pressure: the 1202 program alarms, the boulder field, and the 30-second fuel callout
  • Evaluate what the first Moon landing proved — and what it cost in people, time, and national effort

Your mission log

  1. 1.Put these in order: splashdown · launch · first step · translunar injection · landing at Tranquility Base. Add the date for each one you know.short answer

  2. 2.The Moon's gravity is about 1/6 of Earth's. Using the planet-weight tool (or dividing by 6), find your Moon weight — then explain in one sentence why your mass did NOT change.calculation

  3. 3.During the 'The Eagle Has Landed' stop-point, write down two moments where a human made a decision the computer could not have made.observation

  4. 4.Collins orbited alone while his crewmates made history below. Would you take his seat or Aldrin's? Argue your choice — there is a real case for each.discussion

  5. 5.In your own words: what did Apollo 11 prove that mattered beyond the Moon rocks it brought home?short answer

Words that matter

Saturn V
— The 111-meter rocket that launched Apollo 11 — still among the most powerful machines ever flown, with about 7.6 million pounds of liftoff thrust.
translunar injection
— The engine burn that pushed Apollo 11 out of Earth orbit and onto a path to the Moon.
Lunar Module (Eagle)
— The spindly two-person lander that carried Armstrong and Aldrin down to the lunar surface and back up to orbit.
Command Module (Columbia)
— The cone-shaped mothership where Michael Collins waited in lunar orbit — the only part of the stack that returned to Earth.
1202 alarm
— A computer warning during the descent meaning the guidance computer was overloaded — Mission Control judged it safe to keep going.
Sea of Tranquility
— The flat lunar plain (Mare Tranquillitatis) where Eagle landed — a 'sea' of ancient lava, not water.
Continue the mission at home: spaceodysseyhub.com/academy/apollo-11 — free, no sign-up.

Teacher answer key — do not photocopy with page 1

Apollo 11: One Small Step

  1. 1.Launch (July 16, 1969) → translunar injection (July 16) → landing at Tranquility Base (July 20) → first step (July 21 UTC / evening of July 20 in the U.S.) → splashdown (July 24).
  2. 2.Moon weight ≈ Earth weight ÷ 6 (e.g., 60 kg-weight → about 10). Weight is gravity pulling on mass; the amount of 'stuff' in you — your mass — is the same on both worlds.
  3. 3.Open response — no fixed answer.
  4. 4.Open response — no fixed answer.
  5. 5.Open-ended — strong answers mention keeping Kennedy's 1961 promise, proving humans and machines could work a problem 380,000 km from help, and a shared moment for roughly 600 million viewers.

Debrief quiz answers

  1. Who stayed in lunar orbit aboard Columbia while Armstrong and Aldrin landed? — Michael Collins
  2. What did the 1202 alarms during the descent mean? — The guidance computer was overloaded but could keep flying
  3. About how much fuel time did Houston call out before Eagle touched down? — 30 seconds
  4. Where did Eagle land? — The Sea of Tranquility
  5. How long was the whole Apollo 11 mission, launch to splashdown? — About 8 days