The Apollo missions were a series of American space flights that enabled twelve astronauts to walk on the Moon between 1969 and 1972. They used the large Saturn V rocket and a two-part spacecraft: an orbiting command module and a lunar module for the moon landing.
Apollo 11 (July 1969) achieved the first manned moon landing in the Sea of Tranquillity; Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon, while Michael Collins remained in orbit.
Apollo 12, 14, 15, 16 and 17 then landed at other lunar sites, with increasingly longer stays and, starting with Apollo 15, the use of a lunar rover to explore further and bring back more samples.
The Apollo 13 accident
In April 1970, Apollo 13 suffered a serious explosion in an oxygen tank, preventing any moon landing and putting the crew's survival at risk.
The lunar module was used as a ‘lifeboat’ to provide energy and life support, enabling a return to Earth without landing on the Moon.