User:WDGraham/MLE
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Manned exploration of the Moon is the exploration of the Earth's natural satellite by means of manned spaceflight. The first manned missions to explore the Moon were conducted in the late 1960s and early 1970s by the United States, as part of the Apollo programme. The race to land a man on the Moon had been a key objective of the space race, with both the Soviet Union and United States developing spacecraft to transport crews to the Lunar surface.
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During the Apollo programme, nine manned missions visited the Moon, with one flight performing a circumlunar flyby after its landing was aborted, and the remainder entering orbit.
No humans have visited the Moon since the departure of Apollo 17 in December 1972. As of 2009[update], a number of countries are reported to be working on manned missions to the Moon. The United States is currently working on Project Constellation, which is intended to see men return to the Moon aboard the Orion and Altair spacecraft, launched by Ares I and Ares V rockets.