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Apollo 17
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Apollo 17

Gene Cernan aboard the Lunar Rover during the first

EVA of Apollo 17

Mission type
Operator
COSPAR ID

Manned lunar landing

NASA[1]
CSM: 1972-096A

LM: 1972-096C
CSM: 6300
LM: 6307

SATCAT
Mission duration

12 days, 13 hours, 51 minutes,

59 seconds

Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft

Apollo CSM-114
Apollo LM-12

Manufacturer

CSM: North American Rockwell

LM: Grumman

Launch mass

48,607 kilograms (107,161 lb)

Landing mass

5,500 kilograms (12,120 lb)

Crew
Crew size

Members

Eugene A. Cernan
Ronald E. Evans
Harrison H. Schmitt

Callsign
EVAs
EVA duration

CSM: America
LM: Challenger
1 in cislunar space
Plus 3 on the lunar surface

1 hour, 5 minutes, 44 seconds

Spacewalk to retrieve film cassettes

Start of mission
Launch date

December 7, 1972, 05:33:00 UTC

Rocket

Saturn V SA-512

Launch site

Kennedy LC-39A

End of mission
Recovered by

USS Ticonderoga

Landing date

December 19, 1972,

19:24:59 UTC

Landing site

South Pacific Ocean

17.88S 166.11W

Orbital parameters
Reference
system

Selenocentric

Periselene

26.9 kilometers (14.5 nmi)

Aposelene

109.3 kilometers (59.0 nmi)

Epoch

December 11, 4:04 UTC

Lunar orbiter
Spacecraft
component

Command/Service Module

Orbital insertion

December 10, 1972,

19:47:22 UTC

Departed orbit

December 16, 1972,

23:35:09 UTC

Orbits

75
Lunar lander

Spacecraft
component

Lunar Module

Landing date

December 11, 1972,

19:54:57 UTC

Return launch

December 14, 1972,

22:54:37 UTC

Landing site

TaurusLittrow
20.19080N 30.77168E

Sample mass

110.52 kilograms (243.7 lb)

Surface EVAs

22 hours, 3 minutes, 57 seconds

EVA duration

First: 7 hours, 11 minutes,

53 seconds
Second: 7 hours, 36 minutes,
56 seconds
Third: 7 hours, 15 minutes,
8 seconds

Lunar rover

Distance covered 35.74 kilometers (22.21 mi)

Docking with LM
Docking date
Undocking date

December 7, 1972, 09:30:10 UTC

December 11, 1972,
17:20:56 UTC

Docking with LM Ascent Stage

Docking date

December 15, 1972,

01:10:15 UTC

Undocking date

December 15, 1972,

04:51:31 UTC

Payload
Scientific Instrument Module
Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package
Lunar Roving Vehicle
Mass

SIM:
ALSEP:
LRV: 463 pounds (210 kg)

Left to right: Schmitt, Cernan (seated), Evans

Apollo program
Apollo 16

Apollo 17 was the final mission of NASA's Apollo program, the enterprise that landed the
first humans on the Moon. Launched at 12:33 am Eastern Standard Time (EST) on December
7, 1972, with a crew made up of Commander Eugene Cernan, Command Module Pilot
Ronald Evans, and Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt, it was the last use of Apollo
hardware for its original purpose; after Apollo 17, extra Apollo spacecraft were used in the
Skylab and ApolloSoyuz programs.
Apollo 17 was the first night launch of a U.S. human spaceflight and the final manned launch
of a Saturn V rocket. It was a "J-type mission" which included three days on the lunar
surface, extended scientific capability, and the third Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV). While
Evans remained in lunar orbit in the Command/Service Module (CSM), Cernan and Schmitt
spent just over three days on the moon in the TaurusLittrow valley and completed three
moonwalks, taking lunar samples and deploying scientific instruments. Evans took scientific
measurements and photographs from orbit using a Scientific Instruments Module mounted in
the Service Module.
The landing site was chosen with the primary objectives of Apollo 17 in mind: to sample
lunar highland material older than the impact that formed Mare Imbrium, and investigate the
possibility of relatively new volcanic activity in the same area.[2] Cernan, Evans and Schmitt
returned to Earth on December 19 after a 12-day mission.[3]
Apollo 17 is the most recent manned Moon landing and was the last time humans travelled
beyond low Earth orbit.[3][4] It was also the first mission to be commanded by a person with no
background as a test pilot, and the first to have no one on board who had been a test pilot; X15 test pilot Joe Engle lost the lunar module pilot assignment to Schmitt, a scientist.[5] The
mission broke several records: the longest moon landing, longest total extravehicular
activities (moonwalks),[6] largest lunar sample, and longest time in lunar orbit.[7][better source needed]
Contents

1 Crew
o

1.1 Backup crew

1.1.1 Original

1.1.2 Replacement

1.2 Support crew

1.3 Mission insignia

2 Planning and training

3 Mission hardware and experiments

3.1 Traverse Gravimeter

3.2 Scientific Instrument Module

3.3 Light flash phenomenon

3.4 Surface Electrical Properties Experiment

3.5 Lunar Roving Vehicle

3.6 Biological cosmic ray experiment

4 Mission highlights

4.1 Launch and outbound trip

4.2 Moon landing

4.3 Lunar surface

4.4 Return to Earth

5 Spacecraft locations

6 Depiction of mission in fiction and popular culture

7 Multimedia

8 See also

9 References

10 Bibliography

11 External links

Crew
Position[8]
Commander
Command Module Pilot
Lunar Module Pilot

Astronaut
Eugene A. Cernan
Third and last spaceflight
Ronald E. Evans
Only spaceflight
Harrison H. Schmitt
Only spaceflight

Eugene Cernan, Ronald Evans, and former X-15 pilot Joe Engle were assigned to the backup
crew of Apollo 14.[9] Engle flew sixteen X-15 flights, three of which exceeded the 50 mi

(80 km) border of space.[10] Following the rotation pattern that a backup crew would fly as the
prime crew three missions later, Cernan, Evans, and Engle would have flown Apollo 17.
Harrison Schmitt served on the backup crew of Apollo 15 and, following the crew rotation
cycle, was slated to fly as Lunar Module Pilot on Apollo 18. However, Apollo 18 was
cancelled in September 1970. Following this decision, the scientific community pressured
NASA to assign a geologist to an Apollo landing, as opposed to a pilot trained in geology. In
light of this pressure, Harrison Schmitt, a professional geologist, was assigned the Lunar
Module Pilot position on Apollo 17.[9] Scientist-astronaut Curt Michel believed that it was his
own decision to resign, after it became clear that he would not be given a flight assignment,
that mobilized this action.[11]
Subsequent to the decision to assign Schmitt to Apollo 17, there remained the question of
which crew (the full backup crew of Apollo 15, Dick Gordon, Vance Brand, and Schmitt, or
the backup crew of Apollo 14) would become prime crew of the mission. NASA Director of
Flight Crew Operations Deke Slayton ultimately assigned the backup crew of Apollo 14
(Cernan and Evans), along with Schmitt, to the prime crew of Apollo 17.[9]
Backup crew
Original
Position[12]
Commander
Command Module Pilot
Lunar Module Pilot

Astronaut
David Scott
Alfred Worden
James Irwin

This had been the Apollo 15 prime crew.

Replacement
Position[8][13]
Commander

Astronaut
John Young

Command Module Pilot

Stuart Roosa

Lunar Module Pilot

Charles Duke

The Apollo 15 prime crew received the backup assignment since this was to be the last lunar
mission and the backup crew would not rotate to another mission. However, when the Apollo
15 postage stamp incident became public in early 1972 the crew was reprimanded by NASA
and the United States Air Force (they were active duty officers). Director of Flight Crew
Operations Deke Slayton removed them from flight status and replaced them with Young and
Duke from the Apollo 16 prime crew and Roosa from the Apollo 14 prime and Apollo 16
backup crews.[12][14]
Support crew

Robert F. Overmyer[15]

Robert A. Parker[16]

C. Gordon Fullerton[17]

Mission insignia

Apollo 17 space-flown silver Robbins medallion

The insignia's most prominent feature is an image of the Greek sun god Apollo backdropped
by a rendering of an American eagle, the red bars on the eagle mirroring those on the flag of
the United States. Three white stars above the red bars represent the three crewmen of the
mission. The background includes the Moon, the planet Saturn and a galaxy or nebula. The
wing of the eagle partially overlays the Moon, suggesting man's established presence there.
The gaze of Apollo and the direction of the eagle's motion embody man's intention to explore
further destinations in space.[18]
The patch includes, along with the colors of the U.S. flag (red, white, and blue), the color
gold, representative of a "golden age" of spaceflight that was to begin with Apollo 17. The
image of Apollo in the mission insignia is a rendering of the Apollo Belvedere sculpture. The
insignia was designed by Robert McCall, with input from the crew.[18]
Planning and training

Gene Cernan participates in geology training in Sudbury, Ontario in May 1972

Like Apollo 15 and Apollo 16, Apollo 17 was slated to be a "J-mission," an Apollo mission
type that featured lunar surface stays of three days, higher scientific capability, and the usage
of the Lunar Roving Vehicle. Since Apollo 17 was to be the final lunar landing of the Apollo
program, high-priority landing sites that had not been visited previously were given
consideration for potential exploration. A landing in the crater Copernicus was considered,
but was ultimately rejected because Apollo 12 had already obtained samples from that
impact, and three other Apollo expeditions had already visited the vicinity of Mare Imbrium.
A landing in the lunar highlands near the crater Tycho was also considered, but was rejected
because of the rough terrain found there and a landing on the lunar far side in the crater
Tsiolkovskiy was rejected due to technical considerations and the operational costs of
maintaining communication during surface operations. A landing in a region southwest of
Mare Crisium was also considered, but rejected on the grounds that a Soviet spacecraft could
easily access the site; Luna 20 eventually did so shortly after the Apollo 17 site selection was
made.[2]
After the elimination of several sites, three sites made the final consideration for Apollo 17:
Alphonsus crater, Gassendi crater, and the Taurus-Littrow valley. In making the final landing
site decision, mission planners took into consideration the primary objectives for Apollo 17:
obtaining old highlands material from a substantial distance from Mare Imbrium, sampling
material from young volcanic activity (i.e., less than three billion years), and having minimal
ground overlap with the orbital ground tracks of Apollo 15 and Apollo 16 to maximize the
amount of new data obtained.[2]
The Taurus-Littrow site was selected with the prediction that the crew would be able to obtain
samples of old highland material from the remnants of a landslide event that occurred on the
south wall of the valley and the possibility of relatively young, explosive volcanic activity in
the area. Although the valley is similar to the landing site of Apollo 15 in that it is on the
border of a lunar mare, the advantages of Taurus-Littrow were believed to outweigh the
drawbacks, thus leading to its selection as the Apollo 17 landing site.[2]
Apollo 17 was the only lunar landing mission to carry the Traverse Gravimeter Experiment
(TGE), an experiment built by Draper Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology designed to provide relative gravity measurements throughout the landing site at
various locations during the mission's moonwalks. Scientists would then use this data to
gather information about the geological substructure of the landing site and the surrounding
vicinity.[19]
As with previous lunar landings, the Apollo 17 astronauts underwent an extensive training
program that included training to collect samples on the surface, usage of the spacesuits,
navigation in the Lunar Roving Vehicle, field geology training, survival training, splashdown
and recovery training, and equipment training.[20]
Mission hardware and experiments
Traverse Gravimeter

Apollo 17 was the only Apollo lunar landing mission to carry the Traverse Gravimeter
Experiment. As gravimeters had proven to be useful in the geologic investigation of the

Earth, the objective of this experiment was to determine the feasibility of using the same
techniques on the Moon to learn about its internal structure. The gravimeter was used to
obtain readings at the landing site in the immediate vicinity of the Lunar Module (LM), as
well as various locations on the mission's traverse routes. The TGE was carried on the Lunar
Roving Vehicle; measurements were taken by the astronauts while the LRV was not in motion
or after the gravimeter was placed on the surface.[21]
A total of twenty-six measurements were taken with the TGE during the mission's three
moonwalks, with productive results. As part of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments
Package (ALSEP), the astronauts also deployed the Lunar Surface Gravimeter, a similar
experiment, which ultimately failed to function properly.[19]
Scientific Instrument Module

Apollo 17 SIM bay on the Service Module, seen from the Lunar Module in orbit
around the Moon

Sector one of the Apollo 17 Service Module (SM) contained the Scientific Instrument
Module (SIM) bay. The SIM bay housed three experiments for use in lunar orbit: a lunar
sounder, an infrared scanning radiometer, and a far-ultraviolet spectrometer. A mapping
camera, panoramic camera, and a laser altimeter were also included in the SIM bay.[21]
The lunar sounder beamed electromagnetic impulses toward the lunar surface, which were
designed with the objective of obtaining data to assist in developing a geological model of the
interior of the Moon to an approximate depth of 1.3 km (0.81 mi).[21]
The Infrared Scanning Radiometer was designed with the objective of generating a
temperature map of the lunar surface to aid in locating surface features such as rock fields,
structural differences in the lunar crust, and volcanic activity.[21]
The Far-Ultraviolet Spectrometer was to be used to obtain data pertaining to the composition,
density, and constituency of the lunar atmosphere. The spectrometer was also designed to
detect far-UV radiation emitted by the Sun that has been reflected off the lunar surface.[21]

The Laser Altimeter was designed with the intention of measuring the altitude of the
spacecraft above the lunar surface within approximately two meters (6.5 feet), and providing
altitude information to the panoramic and mapping cameras.[21]
Light flash phenomenon
Main article: Cosmic ray visual phenomena

Throughout the Apollo lunar missions, the crew members observed light flashes that
penetrated closed eyelids. These flashes, described as "streaks" or "specks" of light, were
usually observed by astronauts while the spacecraft was darkened during a sleep period.
These flashes, while not observed on the lunar surface, would average about two per minute
and were observed by the crew members during the trip out to the Moon, back to Earth, and
in lunar orbit.[21]
The Apollo 17 crew conducted an experiment, also conducted on Apollo 16, with the
objective of linking these light flashes with cosmic rays. As part of an experiment conducted
by NASA and the University of Houston, one astronaut wore a device that recorded the time,
strength, and path of high-energy atomic particles that penetrated the device. Analysis of the
results concluded that the evidence supported the hypothesis that the flashes occurred when
charged particles travelled through the retina in the eye.[21][22]
Surface Electrical Properties Experiment

Apollo 17 lunar rover at its final resting place on the Moon. The Surface Electrical
Properties (SEP) receiver is the antenna on the right-rear of the vehicle

Apollo 17 was the only lunar surface expedition to include the Surface Electrical Properties
(SEP) experiment. The experiment included two major components: a transmitting antenna
deployed near the Lunar Module and a receiving antenna located on the Lunar Roving
Vehicle. At different stops during the mission's traverses, electrical signals traveled from the
transmitting device, through the ground, and received at the LRV. The electrical properties of
the lunar soil could be determined by comparison of the transmitted and received electrical
signals. The results of this experiment, which are consistent with lunar rock composition,
show that the top 2 km (1.2 mi) of the Moon are extremely dry.[23]
Lunar Roving Vehicle

Apollo 17 was the third mission (the others being Apollo 15 and Apollo 16) to make use of a
Lunar Roving Vehicle. The LRV, in addition to being used by the astronauts for transport
from station to station on the mission's three moonwalks, was used to transport the astronauts'
tools, communications equipment, and samples.[21] The Apollo 17 LRV was also used to carry
experiments unique to the mission, such as the Traverse Gravimeter and Surface Electrical
Properties experiment.[19][23] The Apollo 17 LRV traveled a cumulative distance of
approximately 35.9 km (22.3 mi) in a total drive time of about four hours and twenty-six
minutes; the greatest distance Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt traveled from the Lunar
Module was about 7.6 km (4.7 mi).[24]
Biological cosmic ray experiment

Apollo 17 included a biological cosmic ray experiment (BIOCORE), carrying mice that had
been implanted with radiation monitors to see whether they suffered damage from cosmic
rays.[25]
Five pocket mice (Perognathus longimembris) were implanted with radiation monitors under
their scalps and flown on the mission. The species was chosen because it was welldocumented, small, easy to maintain in an isolated state (not requiring drinking water for the
duration of the mission and with highly concentrated waste), and for its ability to withstand
environmental stress. Four of the five mice survived the flight; the cause of death of the fifth
mouse was not determined.[25]
The study found lesions in the scalp itself and liver. The scalp lesions and liver lesions
appeared to be unrelated to one another, and were not thought to be the result of cosmic rays.
No damage was found in the mice's retinas or viscera.[25] At the time of the publication of the
Apollo 17 Preliminary Science Report, the mouse brains had not yet been examined.[25]
However, subsequent studies showed no significant effect on the brains.[26]
Officially, the micefour male and one femalewere assigned the identification numbers
A3326, A3400, A3305, A3356 and A3352. Unofficially, according to Cernan, the Apollo 17
crew dubbed them "Fe", "Fi", "Fo", "Fum" and "Phooey".[27]
Mission highlights
Launch and outbound trip

Apollo 17 launches on December 7, 1972

Apollo 17 was launched at 12:33 am EST on December 7, 1972, from launch pad 39-A at the
Kennedy Space Center. It was the last manned Saturn V launch and the only night launch.
The launch was delayed by two hours and forty minutes due to an automatic cutoff in the
launch sequencer at the T-30 second mark in the countdown. The issue was quickly
determined to be a minor technical error. The clock was reset and held at the T-22 minute
mark while technicians worked around the malfunction in order to continue with the launch.
This pause was the only launch delay in the Apollo program caused by this type of hardware
failure. The count resumed and the rocket lifted off achieving a normal low Earth orbit.[3][28]
Approximately 500,000 people were estimated to have observed the launch in the immediate
vicinity of Kennedy Space Center, despite the early morning hour. The launch was visible as
far away as 800 km (500 mi); observers in Miami, Florida, saw a "red streak" crossing the
northern sky.[28]
At 3:46 am EST, the S-IVB third stage was re-ignited to propel the spacecraft towards the
Moon.[3]
At approximately 2:47 pm EST on December 10, the Service Propulsion System engine on
the Command/Service Module ignited to slow down the CSM/Lunar Module stack into lunar
orbit. Following orbit insertion and orbital stabilization, the crew began preparations for
landing in the Taurus-Littrow valley.[3]
Moon landing

After separating from the Command/Service Module, the Lunar Module Challenger and its
crew of two, Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt, adjusted their orbit and began
preparations for the descent to Taurus-Littrow. While Cernan and Schmitt prepared for
landing, Command Module Pilot Ron Evans remained in orbit to take observations, perform
experiments and await the return of his crew-mates a few days later.[3][29]

Soon after completing their preparations for landing, Cernan and Schmitt began their descent
to the Taurus-Littrow valley on the lunar surface. Several minutes after the descent phase was
initiated, the Lunar Module pitched over, giving the crew their first look at the landing site
during the descent phase and allowing Cernan to guide the spacecraft to a desirable landing
target while Schmitt provided data from the flight computer essential for landing. The LM
touched down on the lunar surface at 2:55 pm EST on December 11. Shortly thereafter, the
two astronauts began re-configuring the LM for their stay on the surface and began
preparations for the first moonwalk of the mission, or EVA-1.[3][29]
Lunar surface

Eugene Cernan on the lunar surface, December 13, 1972

The first moonwalk (EVA) of the mission began approximately four hours after landing, at
about 6:55 pm on December 11. The first task of the first lunar excursion was to offload the
Lunar Roving Vehicle and other equipment from the Lunar Module. While working near the
rover, a fender was accidentally broken off when Gene Cernan brushed up against it, his
hammer getting caught under the right-rear fender, breaking off the rear extension. The same
incident had also occurred on Apollo 16 as Commander John Young maneuvered around the
rover. Although this was not a mission-critical issue, the loss of the fender caused Cernan and
Schmitt to be covered with dust thrown up when the rover was in motion.[30] The crew used
duct tape to fix the problem by attaching a map to the damaged fender, but the dust picked up
on the tape surface prevented it from sticking properly and the first fix was short lived. After
an overnight rethink by the flight controllers, a better method of applying the tape resulted in
a satisfactory fix that lasted for the length of the exploration.[31] The crew then deployed the
Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) west of the immediate landing site.
After completing this, Cernan and Schmitt departed on the first geologic traverse of the
mission towards Steno crater to the south of the landing site, during which they gathered 14
kilograms (31 lb) of samples; took seven gravimeter measurements; and deployed two
explosive packages, which were later detonated remotely to test geophones that had been
placed by the astronauts and seismometers that had been placed on previous Apollo missions.
[32]
The EVA ended after seven hours and twelve minutes.[3][33]

Apollo 17 landing site, photographed in 2011 by Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

Lunar Regolith collected during Apollo 17

On December 12, at 6:28 pm EST, Cernan and Schmitt began their second lunar excursion.
One of the first tasks of the EVA was repairing the right-rear fender on the LRV, the rearward
extension of which had been broken off the previous day. The pair did this by taping together
four cronopaque maps with duct tape and clamping the replacement fender extension to the
fender, thus providing a means of preventing dust from raining down upon them while in
motion.[30][31][34] During this EVA, the pair sampled several different types of geologic deposits
found in the valley, including the avalanche at the base of the South Massif, orange-colored
soil at Shorty crater, and ejecta of Camelot crater. The crew completed this moonwalk after
seven hours and thirty-seven minutes. They collected 34 kilograms (75 lb) of samples,
deployed three more explosive packages and took seven gravimeter measurements.[3]
The third moonwalk, the last of the Apollo program, began at 5:26 pm EST on December 13.
During this excursion, the crew collected 66 kilograms (146 lb) of lunar samples and took
nine gravimeter measurements. They drove the rover to the north and east of the landing site
and explored the base of the North Massif, the Sculptured Hills, and the unusual crater Van
Serg. Before ending the moonwalk, the crew collected a rock, a breccia, and dedicated it to
several different nations which were represented in Mission Control Center in Houston,
Texas, at the time. A plaque located on the Lunar Module, commemorating the achievements
made during the Apollo program, was then unveiled. Before reentering the LM for the final
time, Gene Cernan expressed his thoughts:[3]
...I'm on the surface; and, 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."[35]

Cernan then followed Schmitt into the Lunar Module after spending approximately seven
hours and 15 minutes outside during the mission's final lunar excursion.[3]
Return to Earth

Apollo 17 post-landing recovery operations

Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt successfully lifted off from the lunar surface in the
ascent stage of the Lunar Module on December 14, at 5:55 pm EST. After a successful
rendezvous and docking with Ron Evans in the Command/Service Module in orbit, the crew
transferred equipment and lunar samples between the LM and the CSM for return to Earth.
Following this, the LM ascent stage was sealed off and jettisoned at 1:31 am on December
15. The ascent stage was then deliberately crashed into the Moon in a collision recorded by
seismometers deployed on Apollo 17 and previous Apollo expeditions.[3][36]
On December 17, during the trip back to Earth, at 3:27 pm EST, Ron Evans successfully
conducted a one-hour and seven minute spacewalk to retrieve exposed film from the
instrument bay on the exterior of the CSM.[3]
On December 19, the crew jettisoned the no-longer-needed Service Module, leaving only the
Command Module for return to Earth. The Apollo 17 spacecraft reentered Earth's atmosphere
and landed safely in the Pacific Ocean at 2:25 pm, 6.4 kilometers (4.0 mi) from the recovery
ship, the USS Ticonderoga. Cernan, Evans and Schmitt were then retrieved by a recovery
helicopter and were safely aboard the recovery ship 52 minutes after landing.[3][36]
Spacecraft locations

The Command Module America is currently on display at Space Center Houston at the
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.[37]
The ascent stage of lunar module Challenger impacted the Moon December 15, 1972 at
06:50:20.8 UT (1:50 am EST), at 19.96N 30.50E.[37] The descent stage remains on the
Moon at the landing site, 20.19080N 30.77168E.[1]
In 2009 and again in 2011, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter photographed the landing site
from increasingly low orbits.[38]

Depiction of mission in fiction and popular culture

Portions of the Apollo 17 mission are dramatized in the 1998 HBO miniseries From the
Earth to the Moon episode entitled "Le Voyage dans la Lune."[39]
The prologue to the 1999 novel Back to the Moon, by Homer Hickam, begins with a
dramatized depiction of the end of the second Apollo 17 EVA. The orange soil then becomes
the major driver of the plot of the rest of the story.[40]
The 2005 novel Tyrannosaur Canyon by Douglas Preston opens with a depiction of the
Apollo 17 moonwalks using quotes taken from the official mission transcript.[41]
Additionally, there have been fictional astronauts in film, literature and television who have
been described as "the last man to walk on the Moon," implying they were crew members on
Apollo 17. One such character was Steve Austin in the television series The Six Million
Dollar Man. In the 1972 novel Cyborg, upon which the series was based, Austin remembers
watching the Earth "fall away during Apollo XVII."[42] In the 1998 film Deep Impact fictional
astronaut Spurgeon "Fish" Tanner, portrayed by Robert Duvall, was described at a
Presidential press conference as the "last man to walk on the moon" by the President of the
United States, portrayed by Morgan Freeman.[43]
In the Anime Aldnoah.Zero, the Apollo 17 mission locates an ancient transporter gate leading
to Mars left by an unknown, extinct alien race. This discovery is the divergence point for the
story's alternate history.
Multimedia

The Apollo 17 Saturn V awaits launch

Vice President Spiro Agnew congratulates launch control after the launch

Apollo 17 photo of the Earth as the spacecraft heads for the Moon (known as "The
Blue Marble photo")

Lunar Orbiter 4 image of the Taurus-Littrow valley, with the landing site near center.

Play media

Astronaut Harrison Schmitt falls while on a moonwalk

Harrison Schmitt poses with the American flag and Earth in the background during
Apollo 17's first EVA. Eugene Cernan is visible reflected in Schmitt's helmet visor

View of the waning crescent Earth seen rising above the lunar horizon over the Ritz
Crater

Schmitt stands next to a large boulder during EVA-3. He is looking in the direction of
the LM which is visible beyond the right limb of the boulder.

Cernan in the Lunar Module after EVA-3

Schmitt in the Lunar Module after EVA-3

Play media

Apollo 17's Lunar Module blasts off and leaves the Moon

Evans performs an EVA before returning home

The plaque left on the Moon by Apollo 17

A model of the UV spectrometer used to take the first accurate measurements of the
constituents of the Moon's atmosphere

Landing site, as imaged by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2009

Narrow-angle image of the LM Challenger descent stage surrounded by LRV tracks

and footprints, as imaged by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter in 2011
See also
Moon portal
Spaceflight portal

TaurusLittrow

Apollo program

Apollo Lunar Module

Apollo Command/Service Module

Saturn V

Moon landing

The Case of the Missing Moon Rocks

List of Apollo missions

List of NASA missions

List of human spaceflights

List of astronauts by year of selection

List of manned spacecraft

List of human spaceflight programs

List of landings on extraterrestrial bodies

List of spacewalks and moonwalks 19651999

List of Apollo mission types

References

This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
1.
Orloff, Richard W. (September 2004) [First published 2000]. "Table of
Contents". Apollo by the Numbers: A Statistical Reference. NASA History
Division, Office of Policy and Plans. NASA History Series (Washington, D.C.:
NASA). ISBN 0-16-050631-X. LCCN 00061677. NASA SP-2000-4029. Archived
from the original on 23 August 2007. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
"Landing Site Overview". Apollo 17 Mission. Lunar and Planetary Institute.
Retrieved 23 August 2011.
Wade, Mark. "Apollo 17". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 22 August
2011.
"Apollo 17 Mission Overview". Apollo Lunar Surface Journal. Retrieved 25
August 2011.
[see chart]
"Extravehicular Activity". NASA. Archived from the original on 18
November 2004. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
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External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Apollo 17.

"Apollo 17" at Encyclopedia Astronautica

"Apollo 17" Detailed mission information by Dr. David R. Williams, NASA

Goddard Space Flight Center

Apollo 17 Press Kit (PDF) NASA, Release No. 72-220K, 26 November 1972

"Table 2-45. Apollo 17 Characteristics" from NASA Historical Data Book:

Volume III: Programs and Projects 19691978 by Linda Neuman Ezell,
NASA SP-4012, NASA History Series (1988)

Apollo 17 Lunar Surface Journal

"Apollo 17 Real-Time Mission Experience" - All mission audio, film, video

and photography presented in real-time.

Apollo 17 Mission Experiments Overview at the Lunar and Planetary

Institute

Apollo 17 Voice Transcript Pertaining to the Geology of the Landing Site

(PDF) by N. G. Bailey and G. E. Ulrich, United States Geological Survey,
1975

"Apollo Program Summary Report" (PDF), NASA, JSC-09423, April 1975

"Development of Manned Space Flight, American and Soviet" from The

Partnership: A History of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project by Edward Clinton
Ezell and Linda Neuman Ezell, NASA SP-4209, NASA History Series (1978)

The Apollo Spacecraft: A Chronology NASA, NASA SP-4009

Apollo 17 "On The Shoulders of Giants" - NASA Space Program & Moon
Landings Documentary on YouTube

"The Final Flight" excerpt from the September 1973 issue of National
Geographic magazine

"Apollo 17 Final Reflections on Apollo" at Maniac World

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Missions of the Apollo program

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1971 Orbital launches in 1972 1973

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