December 19, 2012
LAST MEN TO WALK ON THE MOON RETURNED TO EARTH 40 YEARS AGO
Kennedy Space Center, Florida (JFK+50) 40 years ago today, on December 19, 1972, the last men to walk on the Moon returned safely to the earth.
The crew of Apollo 17 splashed down in the South Pacific at 2:25 p.m. only 4 miles from the recovery ship USS Ticonderoga.
Recovery of Apollo 17
South Pacific
December 19, 1972
NASA Photo
Apollo 17 was the 6th & final lunar landing mission.
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The crew included Eugene A. Cernan*, Ronald E. Evans & Harrison H. Schmitt.
Apollo 17 lifted off on December 7 at 12:33 a.m. in the 1st night launch.
Cernan & Schmitt spent 22 hours exploring the lunar surface & used the LRV or Lunar Roving Vehicle in the process. These explorations were conducted on December 11, 12 & 13, 1972.
Lunar Roving Vehicle
Taurus-Littrow Valley
December 1972
Photo by Gene Cernan
This mission was the only one to carry the TGE or Traverse Gravimeter Experiment built by Draper Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The TGE was designed to provide relative gravity measurements throughout the landing site during the mission's moonwalks.
Before leaving the Moon's surface for the last time, Commander Cernan said:
"As I take man's last step from the surface, back home for sometime to come, I believe history will record that America's challenge of today has forged man's destiny of tomorrow. And as we leave, God willing, we shall return with peace & hope for all mankind. Godspeed the crew of Apollo 17."
*Eugene A. Cernan was born in 1934 in Chicago, Illinois. He received a degree in electrical engineering from Purdue in 1956 & a MS from the Navy in 1963.
He flew in space 3 times, Gemini 9 in 1966, Apollo 10 in 1969, & Apollo 17 in 1972. He is the 11th & last man to walk on the surface of the Moon.
The 1st man to walk on the Moon, Neil Armstrong & the last, Eugene Cernan were both alumni of Purdue University.
Commander Gene Cernan
Lunar Surface
December 1972
Photo by Harrison H. Schmitt
