Apollo 17: The Final Mission of NASA’s Apollo Program

Overview

On December 19, 1972, Apollo 17, the last manned mission of NASA’s Apollo program, successfully returned to Earth. This mission marked the end of an era in space exploration, concluding the series of lunar landings that began with Apollo 11 in 1969.

Key Details

• Launch Date: Apollo 17 was launched on December 7, 1972, from Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

• Crew Members:

  • Eugene Cernan: Commander
  • Harrison Schmitt: Lunar Module Pilot
  • Ronald Evans: Command Module Pilot

• Lunar Landing Site: Taurus-Littrow Valley, chosen for its geological diversity.

• Duration: The mission lasted 12 days, 13 hours, and 52 minutes.

Mission Objectives

Apollo 17 aimed to conduct scientific exploration of the lunar surface and to collect samples to further understand the Moon’s geological history. It also sought to deploy scientific instruments and conduct experiments both on the lunar surface and in lunar orbit.

Significant Achievements

• Lunar Surface Activities: Cernan and Schmitt spent approximately 75 hours on the lunar surface, conducting three extravehicular activities (EVAs) totaling over 22 hours.
• Scientific Contributions: The mission collected 110.4 kilograms (243.4 pounds) of lunar samples, including the famous “orange soil” discovered by Schmitt, a geologist and the only scientist to walk on the Moon.
• Technological Milestones: Apollo 17 featured the use of the Lunar Roving Vehicle, which allowed the astronauts to travel a total of 35 kilometers (22 miles) on the Moon’s surface.

Return and Legacy

• Splashdown: The Command Module, named “America,” splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on December 19, 1972, and the crew was safely recovered by the USS Ticonderoga.
• Historical Significance: Eugene Cernan, the last person to leave the lunar surface, famously remarked, “We leave as we came, and, God willing, as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind.”
• End of an Era: Apollo 17 concluded the Apollo program, which had achieved its primary goal of landing humans on the Moon and returning them safely to Earth, as set by President John F. Kennedy in 1961.

Broader Impact

The Apollo program significantly advanced human understanding of space travel and lunar science. It laid the groundwork for future space exploration endeavors, including the development of the Space Shuttle program and the International Space Station. Apollo 17’s success demonstrated the potential for human exploration beyond Earth, inspiring generations of scientists, engineers, and explorers.

Apollo 17 remains a testament to human ingenuity and the spirit of exploration, symbolizing the culmination of one of the most ambitious scientific endeavors in history.