Apollo 17
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| Apollo 17 | |
|---|---|
 Harrison Schmitt / Apollo 17 · Public domain · source | |
| Name | Apollo 17 |
| Mission type | Crewed lunar landing |
| Operator | National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
| Nasa program | Apollo program |
| Cospar id | AS-512 |
| Satcat | 6366 |
| Spacecraft | Command/Service Module America and Lunar Module Challenger |
| Manufacturer | North American Rockwell, Grumman Aerospace, Rockwell International |
| Launch date | December 7, 1972 |
| Launch site | Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A |
| Landing date | December 19, 1972 |
| Landing site | Pacific Ocean |
Apollo 17 Apollo 17 was the final crewed mission of the Apollo program and the most recent crewed landing on the Moon. The mission conducted surface operations in the Taurus–Littrow valley, returning significant geological samples and expanded scientific investigations that influenced planetary science, lunar geology, and subsequent space exploration planning. Commanded by veteran astronauts, the flight combined extended extravehicular activities, rover traverses, and orbital observations.
Overview
The flight was flown by a crew drawn from NASA Astronaut Corps veterans and test pilots, launched by a Saturn V rocket built by Boeing, North American Rockwell, and IBM contractors, and targeted the Mare Serenitatis-adjacent Taurus–Littrow site selected by panels including members from Lunar and Planetary Institute, U.S. Geological Survey, and university geological departments. The mission epitomized late-1960s and early-1970s technological coordination between organizations such as Marshall Space Flight Center, Johnson Space Center, Kennedy Space Center, and contractors like Grumman and Rockwell International. Political context included interactions with administrations of Richard Nixon and policy inputs from Office of Management and Budget and congressional committees such as the United States Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences.
Crew and Mission Profile
The crew consisted of a commander with prior Gemini and Apollo experience, a command module pilot with expertise in orbital operations and scientific observation, and a lunar module pilot trained for surface geology and rover operations. Training involved simulations at Manned Spacecraft Center programs, geology field trips led by Harrison Schmitt-type scientist-astronaut advocates, and rehearsals at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Ellington Field. Mission control support was provided through Flight Director teams, with networks spanning Houston, Merritt Island, and recovery forces including United States Navy carriers and Naval Air Station assets.
Launch, Lunar Orbit, and Surface Operations
Launch used the final operational Saturn V from Launch Complex 39A with ascent guided by avionics from Rocketdyne and trajectory design by consultants from MIT and Caltech. Trans-lunar injection and translunar coast phases were managed by Mission Control Center teams under controllers experienced from Apollo 11, Apollo 12, and Apollo 16. After lunar orbit insertion, the lunar module descended to the Taurus–Littrow valley, conducting surface EVA operations supported by the Lunar Roving Vehicle and onboard systems from Grumman Aerospace. Surface activities included extended traverses, emplacement of experiments from Apollo Surface Experiments Package predecessors, and photographic documentation with cameras akin to Hasselblad systems used during earlier Apollo missions. The command module remained in lunar orbit performing observations, mapping, and photography, coordinated with orbital science teams at Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Lunar and Planetary Institute.
Scientific Objectives and Experiments
Scientific goals emphasized understanding highland-mare interfaces, sample stratigraphy, and the chronology of impact events through radiometric dating techniques developed at laboratories connected to Caltech, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US Geological Survey, and Smithsonian Institution. Experiments included geophysical investigations, heat-flow measurements, seismic monitoring using arrays descended from prior Apollo seismometer deployments, and studies of solar wind composition via implanted foil collectors similar to those used on earlier flights. The mission also conducted orbital remote sensing, imaging for geological mapping, and investigations into cosmic ray interactions using instrumentation calibrated with support from Brookhaven National Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Sample Collection and Results
Geological fieldwork yielded a diverse suite of samples—basalts, highland breccias, and a notably dated orange soil-type sample—that were analyzed with techniques such as radiometric dating, petrographic microscopy, and isotopic geochemistry at facilities including Caltech, University of Arizona, NASA Johnson Space Center curation labs, and analytical groups at Carnegie Institution for Science. Results refined lunar chronology models by constraining ages of late-impact events and mare volcanism, informing hypotheses about the Moon's thermal evolution and crustal formation. Returned regolith and core samples revealed information about space weathering, micrometeorite flux, and solar wind implantation, contributing to literature alongside studies from Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 sample suites.
Return, Recovery, and Mission Legacy
Reentry procedures used service module engine firings and Command Module heatshield performance validated by predecessors in Apollo 10 and earlier flights, culminating in splashdown and recovery by United States Navy vessels and medical processing aboard recovery ships. The mission's scientific outputs influenced subsequent proposals for Space Shuttle payloads, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter reconnaissance targets, and planning at institutions such as European Space Agency and Roscosmos for international lunar missions. Personnel and technologies from the flight contributed to later space policy discussions within the White House and to ongoing curation at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and NASA Johnson Space Center Lunar Sample Laboratory Facility. The mission remains a milestone cited in discussions about future crewed missions by agencies including NASA, China National Space Administration, and private companies inspired by the Commercial Crew Program and concepts from Artemis program planners.