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Lunar Prospector in Clean Ro
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| Title |
Lunar Prospector in Clean Room |
| Full Description |
The fully assembled Lunar Prospector spacecraft is shown mated atop the Star 37 Trans Lunar Injection module. Lunar Prospector represented the first NASA spacecraft to revisit the Moon in 25 years. In December of 1972 Apollo 17 astronauts Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt were the last humans to set foot upon the Moon and the last NASA mission to visit the lunar frontier. On January 6, 1998 at 9:28 p.m., Lunar Prospector was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida aboard a Lockheed Martin Athena II rocket. Also onboard were the ash remains of astrogeologist Eugene M. Shoemaker. A scientist from the U.S. Geological Survey, he was detailed to NASA and helped train Apollo astronauts in lunar geology. However, as co- founder of a "rogue string" of comet fragments, his name will forever be linked to the much hearlded Shoemaker-Levy 9 cometary impact of the planet Jupiter in 1995. Lunar Prospector mapped the Moon's elemental composition, gravity fields, magnetic fields and resources. Prospector provided insights into the origin and evolution of the Moon. One of the most significant finds by Lunar Prospector was confirmation that there could be as much as 10 billion tons of subsurface frozen water near the Moon's polar region. The Lunar Prospector mission came to a creative and daring conclusion when on July 31, 1999 at 2:52:00.8 a.m. PDT Mission Control Ames directed the spacecraft to a crash landing into a deep crater near the Moon's South pole. The hope was that the impact might release trapped water vapor. However no visible debris plume was detected by numerous observatories monitoring the event. This lack of direct evidence has not diminished the hope or belief that subsurface frozen water does exist. |
| Date |
01/01/1997 |
| NASA Center |
Ames Research Center |
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Apollo 17 Night Launch
| Title |
Apollo 17 Night Launch |
| Full Description |
Liftoff of the Apollo 17 Saturn V Moon Rocket from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 12:33 a.m., December 17, 1972. Apollo 17, the final lunar landing mission, was the first night launch of a Saturn V rocket. |
| Date |
12/07/1972 |
| NASA Center |
Johnson Space Center |
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Apollo 17 Prime Crew
| Title |
Apollo 17 Prime Crew |
| Full Description |
The prime crew for the Apollo 17 lunar landing mission are: Commander, Eugene A. Cernan (seated), Command Module pilot Ronald E. Evans (standing on right), and Lunar Module pilot, Harrison H. Schmitt. They are photographed with a Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) trainer. Cernan and Schmitt will use an LRV during their exploration of the Taurus-Littrow landing site. The Apollo 17 Saturn V Moon rocket is in the background. This picture was taken at Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida, The Apollo 17 emblem is in the photo insert at upper left. |
| Date |
09/30/1971 |
| NASA Center |
Johnson Space Center |
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The Last Moon Shot
| Title |
The Last Moon Shot |
| Explanation |
In 1865 Jules Verne [ http://www.interlog.com/~anash/najvs.html ] predicted the invention of a space capsule that could carry people. In his science fiction story "From the Earth to the Moon" [ http://JV.Gilead.org.il/pg/moon/ ], he outlined his vision of a cannon in Florida so powerful that it could shoot a "Projectile-Vehicle" [ http://www.nasm.edu/galleries/gal109/NEWHTF/ITM6201.HTM ] carrying three adventurers to the Moon [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/ ap11ann/eagle.html ]. Over 100 years later, NASA [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/pao/History/history.html ], guided by Wernher Von Braun [ http://history.msfc.nasa.gov/vonbraun/index.html ]'s vision, produced the Saturn V rocket [ http://www.apollosaturn.com/ ]. From a spaceport in Florida [ http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/ksc.html ], this rocket turned Verne's fiction into fact, launching 9 Apollo Lunar missions and allowing 12 astronauts to walk on the Moon [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/ ]. Pictured [ http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/images/pao/AS17/10075937.htm ] is the last moon shot, Apollo 17 [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/apollo17info.html ], awaiting a night launch in December of 1972. Spotlights play on the rocket and launch pad while the full Moon looms [ http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/moon.html ] in the background. Humans have not walked on [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/ apollo.epilog.html ] on the lunar surface since. [ http://ilewg.jsc.nasa.gov/ ] |
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The Last Moon Shot
| Title |
The Last Moon Shot |
| Explanation |
In 1865 Jules Verne predicted the invention of a space capsule that could carry people. In his science fiction story "From the Earth to the Moon" [ ftp://ftp.cdrom.com/.22/gutenberg/etext93/moon10.txt ], he outlined his vision of constructing a cannon in Florida so powerful that it could shoot a "Projectile-Vehicle" carrying three adventurers to the Moon. Over 100 years later, NASA, guided by Wernher Von Braun [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/Biographies/biosa-d.html ]'s vision, produced the Saturn V rocket [ http://pscinfo.pscni.nasa.gov/online/msfc/spacelink2.html ]. This rocket [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap950829.html ] turned Verne's fiction into fact, launching 9 Apollo Lunar missions and allowing 12 astronauts to walk on the Moon. Pictured above is the last moon shot, Apollo 17 [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/apollo17info.html ], awaiting a night launch in December of 1972. Spot lights play on the rocket and launch pad while the full Moon [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap950903.html ] looms in the background. Humans have not walked on the lunar surface since. [ http://ees5-www.lanl.gov/Apollo/apollo.epilog.html ] Should we return to the Moon? [ http://www.ari.net/back2moon.html ] Tomorrow's picture: White Dwarfs Cool |
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The Last Moon Shot
| Title |
The Last Moon Shot |
| Explanation |
In 1865 Jules Verne [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030215.html ] predicted the invention of a space capsule that could carry people. In his science fiction story "From the Earth to the Moon" [ http://JV.Gilead.org.il/pg/moon/ ], he outlined his vision of a cannon in Florida so powerful that it could shoot a "Projectile-Vehicle" [ http://www.nasm.edu/galleries/gal109/NEWHTF/ ITM6201.HTM ] carrying three adventurers to the Moon [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/ ap11ann/eagle.html ]. Over 100 years later, NASA [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/pao/History/history.html ], guided by Wernher Von Braun [ http://history.msfc.nasa.gov/vonbraun/index.html ]'s vision, produced the Saturn V rocket [ http://www.apollosaturn.com/ ]. From a spaceport in Florida [ http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/ksc.html ], this rocket turned Verne's fiction into fact [ http://www.lpi.usra.edu/expmoon/lunar_missions.html ], launching 9 Apollo Lunar missions and allowing 12 astronauts to walk on the Moon [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/ ]. Pictured is [ http://www.apolloarchive.com/apollo_gallery.html ] the last moon shot, Apollo 17 [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/ apollo17info.html ], awaiting its December 1972 night launch. Spotlights play on the rocket and launch pad at dusk. Humans have not walked on [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/ apollo.epilog.html ] on the lunar surface since. |
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The Last Moon Shot
| Title |
The Last Moon Shot |
| Explanation |
In 1865 Jules Verne [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030215.html ] predicted the invention of a space capsule that could carry people. His science fiction story "From the Earth to the Moon" [ http://JV.Gilead.org.il/pg/moon/ ] outlined his vision of a cannon in Florida so powerful that it could shoot a Projectile-Vehicle [ http://www.nasm.edu/galleries/gal109/NEWHTF/ ITM6201.HTM ] carrying three adventurers to the Moon [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/ ap11ann/eagle.html ]. Over 100 years later NASA [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/pao/History/history.html ], guided by Wernher Von Braun [ http://history.msfc.nasa.gov/vonbraun/index.html ]'s vision, produced the Saturn V rocket [ http://www.apollosaturn.com/ ]. From a spaceport [ http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/home/index.html ] in Florida, this rocket turned Verne's fiction into fact [ http://www.lpi.usra.edu/expmoon/lunar_missions.html ], launching 9 Apollo Lunar missions and allowing 12 astronauts to walk on the Moon [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/ ]. As spotlights play on the rocket and launch pad at dusk, the last moon shot, Apollo 17 [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/ apollo17info.html ], is pictured here [ http://www.apolloarchive.com/apollo_gallery.html ] awaiting its December 1972 night launch. |
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
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| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Before the induction ceremony of five space program heroes into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, former astronaut Gene Cernan waves to guests as he is introduced as a previous inductee. He walked in space on Gemini 9, orbited the Moon on Apollo 10 and walked on the Moon as commander of Apollo 17. The ceremony was held at the Apollo/Saturn V Center at KSC. New inductees are Richard O. Covey, commander of the Hubble Space Telescope repair mission, Norman E. Thagard, the first American to occupy Russia?s Mir space station, the late Francis R. "Dick" Scobee, commander of the ill-fated 1986 Challenger mission, Kathryn D. Sullivan, the first American woman to walk in space, and Frederick D. Gregory, the first African-American to command a space mission and the current NASA deputy administrator. The U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame opened in 1990 to provide a place where space travelers could be remembered for their participation and accomplishments in the U.S. space program. The five inductees join 52 previously honored astronauts from the ranks of the Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, Apollo-Soyuz, and Space Shuttle programs. |
| Release Date |
05/01/2004 |
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -
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| Description |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Apollo 17 Commander Gene Cernan looks at the Moon landing display in the new Kennedy Space Center Store at Orlando International Airport. NASA?s Kennedy Space Center Director Jim Kennedy and Apollo 17 Commander Gene Cernan participated in the grand opening ceremony. The store will help educate millions of airport visitors about America?s space program and the Vision for Space Exploration. The store is operated by Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex concessionaire Delaware North Parks and Resorts. |
| Release Date |
12/06/2004 |
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Nighttime scene at Pad A, La
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| Title |
Nighttime scene at Pad A, Launch Complex 39 showing Apollo 17 space vehicle |
| Description |
Searchlights illuminate this nighttime scene at Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, showing the Apollo 17 (Spacecraft 114/Lunar Module 12/Saturn 512) space vehicle during prelaunch preparations. Apollo 17 will be the first nighttime liftoff of the Saturn V launch vehicle. Note the full moon in the background. |
| Date Taken |
1972-11-30 |
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