The APOLLO space program was a series of missions conducted by the United States from 1961 to 1972, with the goal of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth. The APOLLO program was the third human spaceflight program undertaken by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), following the Mercury and Gemini programs. The APOLLO program achieved its goal of landing the first humans on the moon on July 20, 1969, when Neil Armstrong and Edwin 'BUZZ' Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the lunar surface.