This past July was the 50th anniversary of the first manned spacecraft to land on the moon. One half century ago, Neil Armstrong stepped down from his lunar module in an inspirational, historic moment that was watched around the world by hundreds of millions of people. Think of the courage it took for Armstrong to make that trip and ultimately walk on the moon! But, of course, he wasn’t relying on just his own extensive training and experience; he was putting his faith in the labor of nearly a half million specialists who worked to get him there and back alive.

When Neil Armstrong was falling back from the moon at almost seven miles per second, his voice broadcast out to the world, thanking all who had put their hearts and all their abilities into building the equipment and machinery that had made the journey possible.

NASA estimated that more than 400,000 engineers, scientists, and technicians were a part of the team that made the moon landings possible. Many had never worked in the aerospace industry before, but they stepped up to make the dream happen, holding the fate of the mission and the astronauts’ lives in their hands. And those were only the specialists. Who knows how many others supported them to explode the team number beyond imagination?

For such an immense undertaking, everyone had to have faith that the work of those who preceded them was dependable, as well as that which would follow and build on their efforts. Consider the countless disciplines needed to not only get a manned rocket to leave our atmosphere and fly to the moon, but to also return the astronauts safely to earth.

We’re going to watch a video about Armstrong’s mission and learn just how amazing it was. As you watch, think about the many people Neil Armstrong had to have faith in to get him to the moon and back.

Show this clip to your class [4:16]:
The First Humans on the Moon
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2009/jul/02/apollo-11-back-up-team

 Provide the students with paper and pens/pencils.

Besides relying on himself, who else did Armstrong need to trust, or have faith in? Write down as many contributors to his first trip to the moon and back as you can think of. They can be obvious players, like specific types of scientists, or people behind the scenes like custodians or welders. Be as detailed as you like. Let’s see how many different people we can think of in 90 seconds.

Set your timer for one and a half minutes. As students call them out,  compile a list of their ideas on the whiteboard. 

• Who can you think of that Neil Armstrong had faith in to get him to the moon and back? (Answers will vary. Possible answers might include: God, fellow astronauts, aerospace engineer, geologist, physicist, meteorologist, chemists, mathematician, physician, nutritionist, spacesuit manufacturer, heat shield inventor, an inspirational high school teacher, lunch lady in the NASA cafeteria. Allow any reasonable answers and make suggestions as needed.)

Isn’t it mind boggling to think of the millions of people it takes to launch astronauts in rockets into space? Trusting in each of the team members to do their part to keep the crew safe and the mission on track takes a lot of FAITH.

When we board an airplane, we trust the pilots and crew and mechanics and manufacturers to do their jobs well, so we can fly safely to our destinations. When we get in our cars we have faith other drivers will obey the traffic laws enough to allow us to travel safely. When we eat, we trust our food sources have provided us with safe ingredients.

• What are some other things you put your faith in on a daily basis? (Answers will vary. Encourage students to think outside the box.)
• What are some examples of ways systems, people, or products that we place our faith in fail? (Answers will vary, with possible answers wide-ranging such as consequences of traffic accidents, power failures, political gridlock, medical mistakes, etc.)

In every detail of life, we have faith that if we do something—even as simple as flipping a light switch—certain things will result. But how is that different from faith in GOD? What does it mean to have faith in the God of the universe, the one who created all things and put the moon and stars in place? Let’s explore what faith in God is and how it can impact our daily lives.

Additional resources:
“Apollo 11: The 400,000 Strong Backup Team”
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2009/jul/02/apollo-11-back-up-team

NASA Sets Launch Times with Science and Precision
https://science.howstuffworks.com/nasa-launch-times.htm