© by Mark Ollig
Building the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Apollo 11 Moon landing mission revealed an extraordinary determination to triumph over seemingly unattainable objectives.
Constructed some 4,500 years ago during the reign of the Pharaohs in ancient Egypt, the three pyramids were built on a rocky plateau on the western bank of the Nile River near Al-Jīzah (Giza), located in northern Egypt.
Thousands of workers labored for an estimated 60 years to build the pyramids.
The pyramids were constructed using rudimentary tools and methods.
The massive limestone blocks were quarried nearby and pulled on sleds over sand. Ramps, levers, and pulleys were used to lift and drag blocks up slopes. However, the growing height of the pyramid required more resources and extended ramps.
The workers cut and shaped the blocks using copper tools and hammers, then placed them in precise positions to create the pyramid's structure.
The Great Pyramids' interior included numerous chambers, passageways, and corridors.
In the early 1960s, the United States and the Soviet Union competed for technological supremacy in what became known as the "space race."
On April 12, 1961, the first person to orbit Earth from space was Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.
Many felt this achievement left the United States trailing in the space race.
On May 25, 1961, in an address to a Joint Session of Congress, President John F. Kennedy proclaimed, "This nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before the decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth."
He added, "It will not be one man going to the moon; it will be an entire nation."
NASA had existed for only two years, seven months, and 24 days.
It had just completed its first crewed 15-minute Earth suborbital space flight 20 days before Kennedy's speech, with astronaut Alan Shepard in a small Mercury spacecraft named Freedom 7, 116 miles above the Earth.
NASA was now tasked with sending a person 240,000 miles to the moon and safely returning them within nine years and seven months.
May 25, 1961, Minneapolis Star evening edition newspaper led with the headline, "Kennedy Summons U.S. to 'a Great Adventure.'"
Despite talk that this goal was beyond the country's current technology and knowledge, our nation rose to the challenge.
Sending astronauts to the moon inspired people in the United States to work together to achieve what was considered science fiction.
To fulfill Kennedy's promise and win the Space Race to the moon, NASA scientists, engineers, astronauts, computer programmers, and space equipment system contractors worked together to build spacecraft and develop new technologies.
With the success of the Mercury and Gemini NASA space programs, it moved on to the Apollo program and the spacecraft and computing which would take America to the moon.
Thousands of engineers, scientists, and technicians worked tirelessly on the Saturn V rocket, lunar module, new computers, and software coding, along with a global interconnected network of ground-based communication satellites working together.
Construction of the Apollo Saturn V rocket and lunar module required engineering precision, extensive testing, and modification improvements.
The 363-foot tall Saturn V rocket was impressive, with its three stages, independent fuel systems, and robust engines.
The lunar module's spidery appearance contained two compartment stages: ascent crew cabin and lower descent stage.
Both compartments were lightweight and constructed using metal alloys, titanium, and an aluminized polyamide mylar. A thin gold leaf layer coating acted as a thermal blanket, protecting the lunar module.
Its unique design allowed operation only in space, landing on the moon's surface and lifting off again using its ascent module engine.
On July 20, 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, aboard the Apollo 11 lunar module called Eagle, landed on the moon.
President Kennedy's goal was achieved before the decade ended.
There was one more moon landing in 1969.
On Nov. 24, 1969, the Apollo 12 lunar module Intrepid with astronauts Charles "Pete" Conrad and Alan Bean made it to the moon and back to Earth.
Before the 1960s had ended, four people landed on the moon, walked on its surface, and safely returned to Earth.
The Great Pyramids, according to estimates, will be recognizable for the next 100,000 years.
Tranquility Base, where Apollo 11 landed on the moon, its scientific equipment, lunar descent stage, and footprints are expected to be recognizable for thousands or possibly millions of years.
Both past accomplishments showcase human determination and problem-solving future generations can reflect upon when facing seemingly insurmountable challenges.
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| AI created image of the Great Pyramids and the Apollo 11 lunar module and astronauts on the moon |
