Completion Report
Project Summary:
The mission was a complete success. We achieved our key objective of putting a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth by end of the decade. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon's surface July 20, 1969, at 20:18 UTC, closely watched and supported by Michael Collins. Armstrong stepped onto the lunar surface six hours later on July 21 at 02:56 UTC; Aldrin joined him about 20 minutes later.
The President has expressed his thanks to the entire team for a job well done.
Objectives
| Objectives (from Project Brief) | Achieved? |
|---|---|
| To land a man on the moon and return him safely to the earth by the end of the decade |
Yes. Two astronauts stood on the moon's surface. All 3 astronauts returned safely to earth |
Deliverables
| Planned Deliverables (from Project Brief) | Delivered? |
|---|---|
|
A rocket capable of taking 3 astronauts to the moon's orbit |
Yes |
| A landing module capable of landing on the moon | Yes |
| A launchpad capable of launching the rocket and landing module into outerspace | Yes |
| 2 teams of trained astronauts | Yes |
| A fully staffed command centre capable of monitoring the voyage | Yes |
Success Criteria
| Success Criteria (from Project Brief) | Achieved? | Additional comments |
|---|---|---|
| At least one astronaut to have stood on the moon’s surface | Yes | This success criteria was exceeded as 2 astronauts were able to stand on the moon's surface |
| Evidence of the lunar landing to be filmed and safely returned to earth | Yes |
The first steps on the moon were filmed and the film stored in the archives. The film has also been broadcast worldwide as evidence In additional to this, Over 3kg ofrock samples were brough back from the moon as evidence and have been passed to the NASA scientific team for analysis |
| Astronauts arrive back to earth alive and in reasonable health | Yes | All 3 astronauts reurned with no visible injury and all passed their health check |
| Astronauts are still in good health 6 months after their return to earth | Yes | All 3 astronauts have passed their 6 month post-mission health check with no apparant health issues |
Budget analysis:
Original budget: $20 billion
Final spend: $150 billion
Explanation for budget variance:
- Hot air driers had to be brought in to speed up the drying of the concrete foundations of the command centre. This incurred additional expense which was approved by the President.
- Astronaut training had to be extended following flood damage to the training centre.
- Increase in staff overtime costs to meet timeline.
Key Learning Points:
- On outdoor-based projects allow extra time for the weather
Outstanding issues:
- Spacecraft debris is still floating around in outer space
- Lunar module is still on the moon