Apollo 17
The Apollo Program's last lunar landing mission, and the first to include an astronaut-scientist, landed in the Moon's Taurus-Littrow Valley. This site was picked for Apollo 17 as a location where rocks both older and younger than those previously returned from other Apollo missions, as well as from Luna 16 and 20 missions, might be found.
Mission Type
crew
Launch
SPLASHDOWN
Apollo 17: Mission Details
Mission Objective The lunar landing site was the Taurus-Littrow highlands and valley area. This site was picked for Apollo 17…
Read the StoryEugene A. Cernan
Commander
Captain Eugene A. Cernan logged 566 hours and 15 minutes in space—of which more than 73 hours were spent on the surface of the Moon. Captain Cernan was the second American to have walked in space, and one of only two men to have flown to the Moon on two occasions. As the commander of the last Apollo mission to the Moon, Apollo 17, Cernan had the privilege and distinction of being the last person to leave his footprints on the surface of the Moon.
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Harrison H. Schmitt
Lunar Module Pilot
Joining NASA in its first astronaut class to include scientist-astronauts in June 1965, geologist Harrison H. “Jack” Schmitt was on the backup crew for Apollo 15. In August 1971, he was assigned as the Lunar Module Pilot for the last Apollo mission to the Moon, Apollo 17. Schmitt is the first scientist and twelfth person to step foot on the Moon.
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Ronald E. Evans
Command Module Pilot
Captain Ron Evans was one of the 19 astronauts selected by NASA in April 1966. He served as a member of the astronaut support crews for the Apollo 7 and Apollo 11 missions, and as backup Command Module Pilot for Apollo 14. Evans retired from the United States Navy on April 30, 1976, with 21 years of service, and remained active as a NASA astronaut involved in the development of NASA’s Space Shuttle Program. He served as a member of the operations and training group, within the astronaut office, responsible for launch and ascent phases of the Shuttle flight program.
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Apollo 17 Articles
Read more about the final lunar landing mission of the Apollo Program.
Eugene Cernan, the last man to walk on the moon, died Monday, Jan. 16, surrounded by his family. Cernan, a…
Following their highly successful mission, the last Apollo Moon landing flight, Apollo 17 astronauts Eugene A. Cernan, Ronald E. Evans…
Following their Dec. 19, 1972, splashdown that ended their successful 13-day Moon landing mission, Apollo 17 astronauts Eugene A. Cernan,…
On Dec. 19, 1972, Apollo 17 astronauts Eugene A. Cernan, Ronald E. Evans, and Harrison H. “Jack” Schmitt, the first…
On Dec. 14, 1972, following three days exploring the Taurus-Littrow site on the Moon, Apollo 17 astronauts Eugene A. Cernan…
Apollo 17 entered lunar orbit on Dec. 10, 1972. The next day, astronauts Eugene A. Cernan and Harrison H. “Jack”…
