Last trip to the moon
The crew of the Apollo 17 lunar landing mission -- Eugene A. Cernan (seated), commander; Ronald E. Evans (standing on right), command module pilot; and Harrison H. Schmitt, lunar module pilot -- in front of the The Apollo 17 Saturn V space vehicle at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., Sept. 1972.
Dec. 13, 2013 marks the 41st anniversary of the last moonwalk. Apollo 17 crew members Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt began their final surface mission at 10:25 p.m. Dec. 13, 1972. The moonwalk eneded early in the morning on Dec. 14.
Apollo 17
Astronaut Eugene A. Cernan stands near an over-hanging rock during the third Apollo 17 lunar surface extravehicular activity at the Taurus-Littrow landing site, Dec. 13 , 1972.
Scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt took this photograph. The tripod-like object just outside the shaded area is the gnomon and photometric chart assembly which is used as a photographic reference to establish local vertical sun angle, scale and lunar color.
The gnomon is one of the Apollo Lunar Geology Hand Tools. While astronauts Cernan and Schmitt descended in the Lunar Module "Challenger" to explore the moon, astronaut Ronald E. Evans remained with the Apollo 17 Command and Service Modules in lunar orbit.
Apollo 17
Apollo 17 astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt spent about 75 hours on the Moon in the Taurus-Littrow valley, while colleague Ronald Evans orbited overhead.
This sharp image was taken by Cernan as he and Schmitt roamed the valley floor.
The image shows Schmitt on the left with the lunar rover at the edge of Shorty Crater, near the spot where geologist Schmitt discovered orange lunar soil.
The Apollo 17 crew returned with 110 kilograms of rock and soil samples, more than was returned from any of the other lunar landing sites. Now forty years later, Cernan and Schmitt are still the last to walk on the Moon.
Apollo 17
Near the beginning of their third and final excursion across the lunar surface, Harrison Schmitt took this picture of Eugene Cernan flanked by an American flag and their lunar rover's umbrella-shaped high-gain antenna.
The prominent Sculptured Hills lie in the background while Schmitt's reflection can just be made out in Cernan's helmet.
Apollo 17
This view of the Apollo 17 landing site in the Taurus-Littrow valley was captured by the Lunar
Clear, dual lunar rover tracks and the foot trails left by astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt, the last to walk on the lunar surface, are also easily visible at the Apollo 17 site.
Apollo 17
Awkward and angular looking, Apollo 17's lunar module Challenger was designed for flight in the vacuum of space.
This picture from command module America, shows Challenger's ascent stage in lunar orbit.
The hatch allowing access to the lunar surface is seen at the front, with a round radar antenna at the top.
Mission commander Gene Cernan is just visible through the dark, triangular window. This spaceship performed gracefully, landing on the Moon and returning the Apollo astronauts to the orbiting command module in December 1972.
The Challenger's descent stage remains at the Apollo 17 landing site, Taurus-Littrow. The ascent stage was intentionally crashed nearby after being jettisoned from the command module prior to the astronauts' return to planet Earth.
Apollo 17
Astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt, lunar module pilot, collects lunar rake samples at Station 1 during the first Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site, Dec. 11, 1972.
This picture was taken by astronaut Eugene Cernan, commander. The lunar rake, an Apollo lunar geology hand tool, is used to collect discrete samples of rocks and rock chips ranging in size from one-half inch to one inch.
Apollo 17
Apollo 17
Scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt is photographed seated in the Lunar Roving Vehicle at the Van Serg Crater during the third Apollo 17 extravehicular activity at the Taurus-Littrow landing site.
This photograph was taken by astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, commander. Schmitt, lunar module pilot, and Cernan explored the moon while astronaut Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules in lunar orbit.
Apollo 17
Apollo 17
Apollo 17
Apollo 17
Apollo 17
Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt were the last humans to walk or ride on the Moon - aided in their explorations by a Lunar Roving Vehicle.
Upon leaving Cernan said:
"As I take man's last step from the surface, back home for some time to come – but we believe not too long into the future – I'd like to just (say) what I believe history will record. That America's challenge of today has forged man's destiny of tomorrow. And, as we leave the Moon at Taurus–Littrow, we leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind. Godspeed the crew of Apollo 17."
Apollo 17
To mark the 30th anniversary of the Apollo 17 mission and the famous “Blue Marble” full Earth image, Goddard Space Flight Center’s Visualization and Analysis Lab rendered a new visualization inspired by the mission.
This view, constructed from observations made from NASA, USGS and Space Imaging Inc. mission, is intended to recall the famous “Blue Marble” Earth image of South Africa and Antarctica taken by Apollo 17 on Dec. 7, 1972.