In honor of the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, the Houston Chronicle staff has been compiling a series of stories, podcasts and photo collections that pay homage to NASA's — and by extension Houston's — great contributions to space exploration: See all Mission Moon pieces here.

A lot has changed since the Apollo 11 mission. Below we've gathered some quick facts to take you through the manned flights that that made history. >>Take a look through the slideshow above for some incredible photos of each mission's takeoff and watery landing.

Apollo 11

Launched: July 16, 1969

Returned: July 21,1969

Members: Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin

This mission was the first spaceflight to land the first two astronauts on the moon:

Americans Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin landed on July 20, 1969, at 20:17.

LISTEN: Mission Moon 'Cigarettes & Rocket Fuel' podcast

Apollo 12

Launched: November 14, 1969

Returned: November 20, 1969

Members: Pete Conrad, Richard F. Gordon Jr., Alan Bean

Four months after Apollo 11, this manned flight, the sixth in the US Apollo program, launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. It was the second mission to land on the moon.

Apollo 13

Launched: April 11, 1970

Returned: April 17, 1970

Members: Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, Jack Swigert

The third mission intended to make it to the moon, this manned flight never arrived due to an oxygen tank explosion. Apollo 13 astronaut Jack Swigert famously said, "Okay, Houston, we've had a problem here," to communicate the problem, which has famously been erroneously misquoted as "Houston, we have a problem" in the 1995 Tom Hanks movie, "Apollo 13." Thankfully, the entire crew returned safely six days after launch and also claim the spaceflight record for reaching the farthest humans have ever traveled from earth.

Apollo 14

Launched: January 31, 1971

Returned: February 6, 1971

Members: Alan Shepard, Stuart Roosa, Edgar Mitchell

This eighth manned mission was the third to reach the moon. It was the first to land in the lunar highlands and the last mission targeted with two-day stays on the moon and two moonwalks, also known as "H Missions."

Apollo 15

Launched: July 26, 1971

Returned: August 2, 1971

Members: David Scott, Alfred Worden, James Irwin

The ninth crewed mission in the United States' Apollo program was the fourth to land on the moon. This flight marked the first time the Lunar Roving Vehicle was used. The crew was infmaously known for carrying unauthorized postal covers and did not fly again.

Apollo 16

Launched: April 16, 1972

Returned: April 24, 1972

Members: John Young, Ken Mattingly, Charles Duke

The fifth and second-to-last to land on the moon, this flight also reached the lunar highlands, like Apollo 14. This was the tenth manned mission in the space program.

Apollo 17

Launched: December 7, 1972

Returned: December 14, 1972

Members: Gene Cernan, Ronald Evans, Harrison Schmitt

The final mission of NASA's Apollo program is still the most recent time humans have journeyed beyond low-earth orbit. This was a "J Mission," meaning it included three days on the lunar surface and the third use of the Lunar Roving Vehicle.

NEWS WHEN YOU NEED IT: Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message | Sign up for breaking news alerts delivered to your email here.