I have always been fascinated with space vehicles.

When I was three I had a toy that was the CSM and LM. I loved taking it apart to see how it worked and putting it back together like the real rendezvous. A couple years ago I learned that my grandpa was a computer programmer for the Apollo program. I was surprised because I did not know over 400,000 people worked together to get a man to the moon. I found many of my facts in books, which I found at the library. The books were mainly secondary sources, but some of them were autobiographies or had good quotes from people involved in planning Apollo 11. For primary sources I relied mainly on NASA documents and newspapers. Additionally I used pictures, footage from the flight, news clips and documentaries. I learned that NASA oversaw every step and document, even when it was done by a contractor. I also learned that NASA tested everything multiple times. NASA wanted a backup for everything, which is called redundancy. Different groups worked on the same problems so they independently came up with solutions. NASA would look at the solutions and make the final decision. My understanding of the project changed because I learned that NASA spent many years researching methods, revising plans and testing equipment. For my project I chose to make a website because this was a good way to show footage and link to planning documents. I spent most of my time researching the topic and narrowing my thesis. When I was creating my website I started by looking at History Day website examples. Next, I decided what pages I should have and what their names should be. Then I chose how to best organize all the information I had and what information was most important to share. Last I formatted, added quotes, and made sure

the information backed up my thesis. I learned that you need a lot of time to come up with a thesis, but its good to have a deep understanding of the topic. NASA showed responsibility to keep the astronauts alive. NASA planned every detail and tested everything multiple times to make sure it worked correctly. NASA considered the weight, shape and materials of everything. Highly skilled and specialized contractors planned, designed and built the specific parts. The other Apollo missions were test flights to make sure the rockets, CSM, LM, and spacesuits worked in space. My topic is important to history because the success of Apollo showed that the United States was the most powerful nation in the world. Because of Apollo they won the space race against the USSR during the Cold War and showed superior rocket capabilities. Apollo 11 showed that we can safely send humans to the moon and get them back safely. It showed that longer and more complicated missions in space are possible. It also proved that when people work together, with a common goal of responsibility, almost anything is possible.