Apollo 17: Last on the Moon
Explanation:
In December of 1972,
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.
Near the beginning of their third and final
excursion
across the
lunar
surface, Schmitt took this picture of Cernan
flanked by an American flag and their
lunar rover's
umbrella-shaped high-gain antenna.
The
prominent mountain
called the South Massif lies in the
background while Schmitt's reflection can just be made
out in Cernan's helmet.
The
Apollo 17 crew
returned with 110 kilograms of rock and soil
samples, more than from any of the other
lunar landing sites.
And after thirty years, Cernan and Schmitt are still the last
to walk on the Moon.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
