It took 66 years from first powered flight to a moon landing, and about 50 years have passed since the last moon landing.

Judge as of 2023-12-17. Two parts: (1) the gap between the first powered aeroplane flight (Wright brothers, December 1903) and the first crewed Moon landing (July 1969) was about 66 years; (2) about half a century (roughly 48–53 years) had passed between the last crewed Moon landing and December 2023. True: both hold to within a year on part (1) and within the stated band on part (2). Mostly true: both are essentially right, with one figure off by slightly more than this (e.g. 1–2 years). Mixed: one part holds and the other is clearly wrong. Mostly false/false: both figures are substantially wrong (false if, e.g., there were crewed Moon landings after the early 1970s).

Set before the research began.

1. E1 The First Flight (U.S. National Park Service) U.S. National Park Service · 15 August 2017

   “On December 17, 1903, the flyer was repaired after Wilbur’s most recent failed attempt three days prior, and the Wright brothers felt they were ready once again to attempt manned, powered, controlled flight.”

2. E2 Apollo 17 | Overview & Facts | Britannica Encyclopædia Britannica · 17 October 2025

   “Apollo 17, U.S. crewed spaceflight to the Moon, launched on December 7, 1972, and successfully concluded on December 19, 1972. It was the final flight of the Apollo program, and Apollo 17 astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt were the last humans to walk on the Moon.”

3. E3 Apollo 17 NASA National Space Science Data Center (NSSDCA), Goddard Space Flight Center · 15 August 2022

   “Landed on Moon: 11 December 1972 UT 19:54:57 (02:54:57 p.m. EST)”

4. E4 Apollo 11 - NASA NASA · 8 March 2023

   “Apollo 11 launched on July 16, 1969, carrying Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin for the first crewed…”

E1 dates the Wright brothers' first powered, controlled flight to December 17, 1903. E4 dates the launch of Apollo 11, the first crewed lunar mission, to July 16, 1969. That makes the gap about 65.6 years, within a year of the claimed 66. E2 and E3 show that Apollo 17 landed on 11 December 1972 and that its crew were the last humans to walk on the Moon. That puts about 51 years between the last landing and December 2023, inside the 48–53 year band.