Project Apollo

My EVAs

Extravehicular activity (EVA) is any activity done by an astronaut outside a spacecraft beyond the Earth's appreciable atmosphere. In this case, it refers to lunar surface exploration (commonly known as a moonwalk).

Go to Google Earth and bring up the Moon feature. Locate and zoom in to show Project Apollo mission (11,12,14,15,16,17) EVAs. Have students study the EVAs ... distances from the lunar module (home base), features visited ... and then plan their own EVAs on the lunar surface in keeping with Project Apollo planning as it relates to ideal locations and logistics.

History:

Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin performed the first EVA on the lunar surface on July 21, 1969 (UTC), after landing their Apollo 11 Lunar Module spacecraft. This first Moon walk, using self-contained portable life support systems, lasted 2 hours and 36 minutes. A total of fifteen Moon walks were performed among six Apollo crews, including Charles "Pete" Conrad, Alan Bean, Alan Shepard, Edgar Mitchell, David Scott, James Irwin, John Young, Charles Duke, Eugene Cernan, and Harrison "Jack" Schmitt. Cernan was the last Apollo astronaut to step off the surface of the Moon. (Wp)

Images courtesy of Google Earth.