List of Apollo astronauts
Summary of the American astronauts assigned to NASA's Apollo lunar program: how many flew, who walked on the Moon, mission span, rover drivers, and the program's lasting significance.
Overview
The Apollo program was NASA's crewed effort to reach and explore the Moon. Over the course of the program, 32 American astronauts were assigned to lunar flights and support roles. Of those, 24 individuals actually flew to the vicinity of the Moon on nine Apollo missions that took place between December 1968 and December 1972. These missions combined orbital flights and six two‑person lunar landings.
Image gallery
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Who flew and what they did
Twenty‑four men traveled to the Moon: some remained in lunar orbit, while others descended to the surface. During the six successful landing missions, twelve astronauts walked on the lunar surface. On three of the flown missions, crew members did not land — one of them (Apollo 13) suffered a critical in‑flight accident that forced the crew to loop around the Moon and return without landing. The program therefore produced a distinct set of crew roles: Command Module pilots who orbited the Moon, Lunar Module pilots who landed, and mission commanders who led the landings or orbital missions.
Notable counts and milestones
- Assigned to Apollo: 32 astronauts (NASA assignment records).
- Flew to the Moon: 24 astronauts on nine missions (flight rosters).
- Orbited the Moon: 24 individuals orbited the Moon on those flights (mission summaries).
- Walked on the Moon: 12 astronauts during six landing missions.
- Rover drivers: Six astronauts operated Lunar Roving Vehicles on later missions (rover usage).
- Repeat visitors: Three astronauts flew to the Moon twice, with varying roles on each trip.
Program context and history
Apollo began in the 1960s as a national effort to land humans on the Moon and return them safely. Apollo 8 (December 1968) performed the first crewed lunar orbit; Apollo 11 (July 1969) achieved the first landing and surface EVA. The last Apollo mission to go to the Moon was Apollo 17 (December 1972), after which no human has traveled beyond low Earth orbit. The program combined engineering advances in spacecraft, mission planning, and surface operations that remain foundational to later crewed spaceflight efforts (program overview).
Legacy and distinctions
The Apollo astronaut corps produced a compact but historically significant list of individuals: a limited number of people who have ever left low Earth orbit. Their missions yielded scientific samples, operational experience, and cultural milestones. Comprehensive lists and biographies of each Apollo astronaut are maintained in archival and official sources for those seeking names, mission assignments, and personal histories (archival lists, agency records).
Further reading
For mission-by-mission crew lists and detailed crew biographies see archival material and mission reports. Popular summaries and archival databases provide accessible entry points to the full roster and the roles each astronaut played during the Apollo lunar program (crew lists, mission archives).
Author
AlegsaOnline.com List of Apollo astronauts Leandro Alegsa
URL: https://en.alegsaonline.com/art/141583