Apollo 17

Apollo 17
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Name	Apollo 17
Mission type	Crewed Lunar landing
Operator	NASA
Mission duration	12 days, 13 hours, 51 minutes, 59 seconds
Spacecraft	Apollo CSM / LM
Manufacturer	North American Rockwell / Grumman
Launch mass	110,000 pounds (50,000 kg)
Launch date	December 7, 1972, 05:33:00 UTC
Launch rocket	Saturn V SA-512
Launch site	Kennedy Space Center LC-39A
Landing date	December 19, 1972, 19:24:59 UTC
Landing site	South Pacific Ocean
Recovery ship	USS Ticonderoga (CV-14)
Orbits	75 lunar
Insignia caption	Official mission insignia

Apollo 17 was the final crewed mission of the Apollo program and the last time humans have traveled beyond low Earth orbit or walked on the Moon. Launched on December 7, 1972, the mission featured the longest lunar surface stay, the most extensive moonwalks, and the largest collection of lunar samples. Commanded by veteran astronaut Eugene Cernan, with Harrison Schmitt as the Lunar Module Pilot and Ronald Evans as the Command Module Pilot, it was the only Apollo flight to include a professional scientist, geologist Schmitt.

Mission overview

The primary objectives were to conduct geological surveying and sampling of materials and surface features in a preselected area of the Taurus–Littrow region, to deploy and activate surface experiments, and to conduct in-flight experiments and photographic tasks during lunar orbit and trans-Earth injection. The mission utilized the Saturn V rocket, designated SA-512, for launch from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Command/Service Module was named America, and the Lunar Module was named Challenger. The mission concluded with a successful splashdown in the South Pacific Ocean and recovery by the United States Navy aircraft carrier USS *Ticonderoga*.

Crew

The crew consisted of Commander Eugene Cernan, a veteran of Gemini 9A and Apollo 10; Command Module Pilot Ronald Evans, on his first spaceflight; and Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt, a professional geologist and the first scientist-astronaut to land on the Moon. The backup crew was John Young as Commander, Stuart Roosa as Command Module Pilot, and Charles Duke as Lunar Module Pilot. The support team included Robert Overmyer, Robert Parker, and Gordon Fullerton. The flight directors for the mission were Gene Kranz's White Team, Gerry Griffin's Gold Team, and Pete Frank's Orange Team.

Mission highlights

Highlights included the only nighttime launch in the Apollo program, which occurred at 12:33 AM EST. During three moonwalks totaling over 22 hours, Cernan and Schmitt used the Lunar Roving Vehicle to explore the Taurus–Littrow valley, discovering orange soil at Shorty Crater. Key activities included deploying the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package, which included the Lunar Surface Gravimeter and the Lunar Ejecta and Meteorites experiment. Evans remained in lunar orbit aboard the America, conducting extensive photographic and scientific observations of the surface. The mission also featured the famous "Blue Marble" photograph of Earth, taken during the trans-Earth coast.

Scientific results

The mission returned 243 pounds (110.5 kg) of lunar samples, the largest haul from any Apollo mission. These included basalts over 3.6 billion years old and the distinctive orange volcanic glass, indicative of ancient fire fountain eruptions. Data from surface experiments provided insights into the Moon's internal structure, lunar meteoroid impacts, and the composition of the lunar atmosphere. Orbital science from the Command/Service Module, including measurements by the Lunar Sounder Experiment, mapped subsurface features. The findings significantly advanced understanding of the Moon's geological history and its relationship to the early Solar System.

Legacy

As the culmination of the Apollo program, it marked the end of an era of unprecedented human exploration. The mission's extensive scientific yield set the benchmark for all subsequent planetary science. Cernan's final words on the lunar surface became an iconic reflection on the achievement. The mission's hardware, including the Challenger descent stage and the Lunar Roving Vehicle, remain at Taurus–Littrow as historical artifacts. The records it set for longest lunar surface stay and total moonwalk duration were unbroken for over 50 years. The mission is frequently cited in discussions about returning humans to the Moon, such as the Artemis program.

Category:Apollo program Category:Human spaceflight Category:1972 in spaceflight