Apollo 10 performed a similar journey but descended to within miles of the surface without landing. In total, there were seven crewed Apollo spacecraft launched toward the moon, with all but Apollo 13 completing their journeys.
Counting Actual Moon Landings Apollo
Then there is the question of landing, whether crewed or robotic, which involves descending to the surface and often performing experiments or collecting samples. For this overview, a trip is considered any intentional journey that reaches the vicinity of the moon with a defined objective, whether that is a flyby, orbit, or landing.
Apollo Missions That Reached Lunar Space Apollo 8 was the first crewed mission to leave low Earth orbit, orbit the moon, and return safely to Earth, making it one clear trip to the moon. Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17 all traveled to the moon and landed, with Apollo 13 completing a trip that was dramatically altered by an in-flight emergency.
Counting Actual Moon Landings Apollo Missions and Trips
Some of these missions circled the moon without landing, while others placed astronauts on the surface for extended exploration. Each Apollo mission that left Earth orbit and interacted with the lunar system is generally counted as one trip, regardless of whether a landing occurred.
More About How many trips to the moon have there been
Looking at How many trips to the moon have there been from another angle can help expand the discussion and give readers a second clear paragraph under the same section.
More perspective on How many trips to the moon have there been can make the topic easier to follow by connecting earlier points with a few simple takeaways.
