The Apollo Program Summary Report is a synopsis of the overall program activities and the technology developed to accomplish lunar exploration. The report is intended, primarily, for the reader who desires a general knowledge of the technical aspects of the Apollo program, but was also edited for comprehension by the lay reader. Much of the information contained herein been extracted or summarized from Apollo Mission Reports, Apollo Preliminary Science Reports, Apollo Experience Reports, and other applicable documents. However, some of the information has not been published elsewhere.
A summary of the flights conducted over an 11-year period is followed by specific aspects of the overall program, including lunar science, vehicle development, flight operations, and biomedical results.
Appendixes provide data on each of the Apollo missions (appendix A), mission type designations (appendix B), spacecraft weights (appendix C), records achieved by Apollo crewmen (appendix D), vehicle histories (appendix E), and a listing of anomalous hardware conditions noted during each flight beginning with Apollo 4 (appendix F).
The names of installations and geographical locations used in the report are those that existed during the Apollo program. For example, the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center is referred to by its former name, the Manned Spacecratt center, and cape canaveral is reterred to as cape Kennedy.
Customary units of measurement are used throughout the report except in lunar science discussions. Metric units were used in the lunar science discussions in the Apollo Mission Reports and are also used in this report. All references to miles mean nautical miles rather than statute miles.