Apollo 17 Completes Final Moon Landing Mission

December 11th, 1972

December 11th, 1972

Apollo 17 Completes Final Moon Landing Mission
How Long Ago?

52 years, 3 months, 4 days ago

Location

Taurus-Littrow valley, Moon

Category

Space Exploration

People
  • Eugene Cernan
  • Harrison Schmitt
  • Ronald Evans
Links & References
Tags

Apollo 17 Completes Final Moon Landing Mission

Apollo 17 marked the final lunar landing mission of NASA's Apollo program, which explored the Moon's surface and returned valuable data. Launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the mission was crewed by astronauts Eugene Cernan, Harrison Schmitt, and Ronald Evans. Apollo 17 is particularly notable for being the only mission to include a scientist on board, with Schmitt being a qualified geologist. The mission lasted about 12 days, during which the lunar module landed in the Taurus-Littrow valley, allowing for extensive geological sampling and exploration. It concluded significant lunar research and achievements of the Apollo program.

Final Apollo mission to land on the Moon.

First scientist, Harrison Schmitt, on a lunar mission.

Collected over 110 kg of lunar rock samples.

Utilized the Lunar Roving Vehicle for exploration.

What Happened?

Apollo 17, the sixth and final mission of NASA's Apollo program, launched on December 7, 1972, with a crew that included Commander Eugene Cernan, Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt, and Command Module Pilot Ronald Evans. Departing from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Apollo 17 was not only a capstone to a remarkable series of missions that had begun with Apollo 11 in 1969 but also a highlight for human space exploration as it enabled humanity to continue its journey of discovery on the Moon. Notably, Harrison Schmitt, a geologist, became the first scientist to land on the Moon, enriching the scientific understanding of the lunar surface.Upon landing in the Taurus-Littrow valley on December 11, 1972, the crew conducted a series of extravehicular activities (EVAs) to collect rock samples and conduct experiments. The mission featured the use of the Lunar Roving Vehicle, which allowed the astronauts to traverse greater distances than previous missions. Over the course of their stay, Cernan and Schmitt spent about 75 hours on the lunar surface, collecting 110.5 kilograms of lunar samples, which provided insights into the geological history of the Moon. They also performed scientific experiments using instruments that would facilitate further understanding of lunar phenomena.The mission was critical not only for scientific reasons but also symbolized the technological prowess of the United States at the time. With the lunar module ascent and subsequent docking with the command module, the comprehensive work conducted by Apollo 17 solidified key findings in planetary science and geology. This mission concluded a remarkable era in human spaceflight and left a legacy of scientific knowledge that continues to influence lunar exploration today.

Why Does it Matter?

The significance of Apollo 17 extends beyond its status as the last manned Moon landing mission. It marked the culmination of nearly a decade of exploration that fostered technological advancements, international interest in space, and scientific inquiry into planetary bodies. The mission's geological findings provided invaluable data that has informed lunar science for decades. With an unprecedented amount of data collection in lunar geology and surface exploration, Apollo 17 set the stage for future lunar missions and was pivotal in shaping modern space exploration objectives and scientific research.

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