Apollo

Apollo is a figure in ancient Greek and Roman mythology. In Greek tradition, he is the son of Zeus and Leto and the twin brother of Artemis. He became one of the principal Olympian gods, associated with the sun and light in later myth, and a patron of music, poetry, prophecy, medicine, and the arts. His most important cult center was the Oracle at Delphi, where the Pythia delivered his oracles. He is commonly depicted with a lyre, a bow, and a laurel wreath, and is linked with urban and rural cults across Greece and the Roman world. In Roman mythology he retained similar attributes under the name Apollo.

NASA's Apollo program was a series of space missions undertaken by the United States between 1961 and 1972 with the goal of landing humans on the Moon and returning them safely to Earth. The program achieved six lunar landings (Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17) and carried twelve astronauts to the lunar surface. Apollo 11 achieved the first Moon landing in July 1969, with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walking on the lunar surface while Michael Collins remained in lunar orbit. The missions used the Saturn V rocket and the lunar module for descent and ascent. The program also included the Apollo 1 accident during ground testing, which led to design changes. Apollo 13 did not land on the Moon but returned safely after an in-flight spacecraft disruption. The program ended in 1972, but it spurred advances in spaceflight, science, and technology.

Beyond myth and spaceflight, the name Apollo appears in various organizational names, brands, and cultural works, and is used as a given name or surname in many languages.