|
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Lunarama
| Title |
Lunarama |
| Full Description |
An extraordinary lunar panorama at Station 4 (Shorty Crater) showing Geologist-Astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt working at the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) during the second Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA-2) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. This is the area where Schmitt first spotted the orange soil. Shorty Crater is to the right. The peak in the center background is Family Mountain. A portion of South Massif is on the horizon at the left edge. |
| Date |
12/12/1972 |
| NASA Center |
Johnson Space Center |
|
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 |
|
Apollo 17 Pacific Recovery A
…
| Title |
Apollo 17 Pacific Recovery Area |
| Full Description |
The Apollo 17 spacecraft, containing astronauts Eugene A. Cernan, Ronald E. Evans, and Harrison H. Schmitt, glided to a safe splashdown at 2:25 pm EST on December 19, 1972, 648 kilometers (350 nautical miles) southeast of American Samoa. They were flown by recovery helicopter to the U.S.S. Ticonderoga slightly less than an hour after the completion of NASA's sixth and last manned lunar landing in the Apollo program. |
| Date |
12/19/1972 |
| NASA Center |
Johnson Space Center |
|
Orange Soil Discovery
| Title |
Orange Soil Discovery |
| Full Description |
A view of the area at Station 4 (Shorty Crater) showing the highly- publicized orange soil which the Apollo 17 crewmen found on the Moon during the second Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA-2) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. The tripod-like object is the gnomon and photometric chart assembly which is used as a photographic reference to establish local vertical Sun angle, scale and lunar color. The Gnomon is one of the Apollo lunar geology hand tools. |
| Date |
12/12/1972 |
| NASA Center |
Johnson Space Center |
|
Cernan Driving the Rover
| Title |
Cernan Driving the Rover |
| Full Description |
Astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, Apollo 17 mission commander, makes a short checkout of the Lunar Roving Vehicle during the early part of the first Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA-1) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. This view of the "stripped down" Rover is prior to loadup. This photograph was taken by Geologist-Astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt, Lunar Module pilot. The mountain in the right background is the East end of South Massif. |
| Date |
12/10/1972 |
| NASA Center |
Johnson Space Center |
|
Cernan Jump Salutes Flag
| Title |
Cernan Jump Salutes Flag |
| Full Description |
Eugene A. Cernan, Commander, Apollo 17 salutes the flag on the lunar surface during extravehicular activity (EVA) on NASA's final lunar landing mission. The Lunar Module "Challenger" is in the left background behind the flag and the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) also in background behind him. While astronauts Cernan and Schmitt descended in the Challenger to explore the Taurus-Littrow region of the Moon, astronaut Ronald E. Evans, Command Module pilot, remained with the Command/Service Module (CSM) "America" in lunar-orbit. |
| Date |
12/13/1972 |
| NASA Center |
Johnson Space Center |
|
Replica of Plaque Left on Mo
…
| Title |
Replica of Plaque Left on Moon by Apollo 17 Astronauts |
| Full Description |
This image is a photographic replica of the plaque that the Apollo 17 astronauts left on the Moon at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. Apollo 17 was the final lunar landing mission in NASA's Apollo program. The commemorative plaque was unveiled at the close of the third extravehicular activity (EVA-3). The plaque was made of stainless steel measuring nine by seven and five-eighths inches, and one-sixteenth inch thick. It was attached to the ladder on the landing gear strut on the descent stage of Apollo 17 Lunar Module "Challenger. |
| Date |
12/12/1972 |
| NASA Center |
Johnson Space Center |
|
Schmitt Covered with Lunar D
…
| Title |
Schmitt Covered with Lunar Dirt |
| Full Description |
Geologist-Astronaut Harrison Schmitt, Apollo 17 lunar module pilot, uses an adjustable sampling scoop to retrieve lunar samples during the second extravehicular activity (EVA-2), at Station 5 at the Taurus- Littrow landing site. The cohesive nature of the lunar soil is born out by the "dirty" appearance of Schmitt's space suit. A gnomon is atop the large rock in the foreground. The gnomon is a stadia rod mounted on a tripod, and serves as an indicator of the gravitational vector and provides accurate vertical reference and calibrated length for determining size and position of objects in near-field photographs. The color scale of blue, orange and green is used to accurately determine color for photography. The rod of it is 18 inches long. The scoop Dr. Schmitt is using is 11 3/4 inches long and is attached to a tool extension which adds a potential 30 inches of length to the scoop. The pan portion, blocked in this view, has a flat bottom, flanged on both sides with a partial cover on the top. It is used to retrieve sand, dust and lunar samples too small for the tongs. The pan and the adjusting mechanism are made of stainless steel and the handle is made of aluminum. |
| Date |
12/12/1972 |
| NASA Center |
Johnson Space Center |
|
Schmitt Next to Big Boulder
| Title |
Schmitt Next to Big Boulder |
| Full Description |
Geologist-Astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt is photographed standing next to a huge, split boulder at Station 6 on the sloping base of North Massif during the third Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA-3) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. The "Rover" Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) is in the left foreground. Schmitt is the Apollo 17 Lunar Module pilot. This picture was taken by Commander Eugene A. Cernan. |
| Date |
12/13/1972 |
| NASA Center |
Johnson Space Center |
|
Schmitt with Flag and Earth
…
| Title |
Schmitt with Flag and Earth Above |
| Full Description |
Geologist-Astronaut Harrison Schmitt, Apollo 17 Lunar Module pilot, is photographed next to the American Flag during extravehicular activity (EVA) of NASA's final lunar landing mission in the Apollo series. The photo was taken at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. The highest part of the flag appears to point toward our planet earth in the distant background. |
| Date |
12/13/1972 |
| NASA Center |
Johnson Space Center |
|
Full Earth
| Title |
Full Earth |
| Full Description |
View of the Earth as seen by the Apollo 17 crew traveling toward the Moon. This translunar coast photograph extends from the Mediterranean Sea area to the Antarctica South polar ice cap. This is the first time the Apollo trajectory made it possible to photograph the South polar ice cap. Note the heavy cloud cover in the Southern Hemisphere. Almost the entire coastline of Africa is clearly visible. The Arabian Peninsula can be seen at the Northeastern edge of Africa. The large island off the coast of Africa is the Malagasy Republic. The Asian mainland is on the horizon toward the Northeast. |
| Date |
12/07/1972 |
| NASA Center |
Johnson Space Center |
|
Stu Roosa in the KC-135
| Title |
Stu Roosa in the KC-135 |
| Full Description |
Stuart A. Roosa, backup crew command module pilot for Apollo 17, participates in extra vehicular activity simulation training aboard a U.S. Air Force KC-135 aircraft. A mock-up of the Scientific Instrument Module (SIM) bay of the Apollo 17 service module is used in the exercise. Here, Roosa simulates retrieving the film cassette of the mapping camera from the SIM bay. The KC-135 "Vomit Comet" can simulate zero- gravity or partial- gravity conditions by diving and climbing in a series of parabolic arcs in the sky. |
| Date |
09/30/1972 |
| NASA Center |
Johnson Space Center |
|
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/ ] |
|
Apollo 17: VIP Site Anaglyph
| Title |
Apollo 17: VIP Site Anaglyph |
| Explanation |
Get out your red/blue glasses and check out [ http://www.apolloarchive.com/apollo_gallery.html ] this stereo scene from Taurus-Littrow valley on the Moon! The color anaglyph [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaglyph_image ] features a detailed [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040417.html ] 3D view of Apollo 17's Lunar Rover [ http://www.batsinthebelfry.com/rover/index.php ] in the foreground -- behind it lies the Lunar Module and distant lunar hills. Because the world was going to be able to watch [ http://history.nasa.gov/40thann/videos.htm ] the Lunar Module's [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060107.html ] ascent stage liftoff via the rover's TV camera, this parking place [ http://www.boulder.swri.edu/~durda/Apollo/ landing_sites.html ] was also known as the VIP [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Very_Important_Person_(person) ] Site. In December [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040605.html ] of 1972, Apollo 17 astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt spent about 75 hours on the Moon, while colleague Ronald Evans orbited overhead. The crew returned with 110 kilograms of rock and soil [ http://www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/cchoice/moonrocks/ moonrocks6.htm ] samples, more than from any of the other lunar landing sites. Cernan and Schmitt are still the last to walk [ http://www.alanbeangallery.com/ ] (or drive) on the Moon [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/frame.html ]. |
|
Apollo 17 Panorama: Astronau
…
| Title |
Apollo 17 Panorama: Astronaut Running |
| Explanation |
What would it be like to explore the surface of another world? In 1972 during the Apollo 17 [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17j.html ] mission, astronaut Harrison Schmitt [ http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/schmitt-hh.html ] found out first hand. In this case, the world was Earth [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001127.html ]'s own Moon [ http://www.nineplanets.org/luna.html ]. In this recently compiled panorama of lunar photographs originally taken by astronaut Eugene Cernan [ http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/cernan-ea.html ], the magnificent desolation [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001209.html ] of the barren Moon [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap981031.html ] is apparent. Visible above and by scrolling right are lunar rocks [ http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/moon/moon_surface.html ] in the foreground, lunar mountains [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980705.html ] in the background, some small craters, a lunar rover [ http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/space_level2/apollo15_rover.html ], and astronaut Schmidt on his way back to the rover. A few days after this image [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17.sta1.html#1222614 ] was taken, humanity left the Moon [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon ] and has yet to return. |
|
Apollo 17's Moonship
| Title |
Apollo 17's Moonship |
| Explanation |
Awkward and angular looking, Apollo 17's lunar module Challenger [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/database/www-nmc?72-096C ] was designed for flight [ http://users.specdata.com/home/pullo/lm_mis1.htm ] in the vacuum of space. This sharp picture from the command module America [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/database/www-nmc?72-096A ], shows Challenger's ascent stage in lunar orbit. Small reaction control thrusters are at the sides of the moonship with the bell of the ascent rocket engine itself underneath. The hatch allowing access to the lunar surface [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17main.html ] is visible in the front and a round radar antenna appears at the top. This spaceship performed gracefully, landing on the moon and returning the Apollo astronauts to the orbiting command module in December of 1972 - but where is Challenger now? [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/apolloloc.html ] Its descent stage remains at the Apollo 17 landing site, Taurus-Littrow [ http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/pub/expmoon/Apollo17/A17_lsite.html ]. The ascent stage was intentionally crashed nearby after being jettisoned from the command module prior to the astronauts' return [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17.homeward.html ] to planet Earth. Apollo 17's mission [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970504.html ] was the sixth and last time astronauts have landed on the moon. |
|
Crater Copernicus
| Title |
Crater Copernicus |
| Explanation |
One of the more prominent craters [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990711.html ] on the Moon [ http://www.nineplanets.org/luna.html ] is named Copernicus [ http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Copernicus.html ]. Copernicus [ http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/expmoon/orbiter/orbiter-craters.html#COPER ] is a large young crater visible with binoculars slightly northwest of the center of the Moon's Earth-facing hemisphere [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010218.html ]. Copernicus [ http://www.hawastsoc.org/solar/cap/moon/coper.htm ] is distinguished by its size and by the many bright rays pointing out from it. Although Copernicus [ http://www.mhhe.com/physsci/astronomy/fix/student/chapter9/09f21.html ] is relatively young for a lunar crater, it was formed nearly a billion years ago by a colossal impact [ http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/expmoon/science/craterstructure.html ]. The center of Copernicus [ http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/expmoon/Apollo17/ A17_Photography_metric.html#Copernicus ] is about 93 kilometers across. The above picture [ http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/expmoon/science/craterstructure.html#Copernicus ] was taken in 1972 by the last human mission to the moon: Apollo 17 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001209.html ]. The prospects for a return have been boosted recently with increased evidence of ice deposits [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/ice/ice_moon.html ] near the lunar poles [ http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/ast13oct99_1.htm ]. |
|
Strange Orange Soil on the M
…
| Title |
Strange Orange Soil on the Moon |
| Explanation |
How did orange soil appear on the Moon? This mystery began [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010523.html http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/a17/a17.sta4.html ] when astronaut Harrison Schmidt [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010523.html http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17.crew.html#jackbio ] noticed the off-color patch near Apollo 17 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001209.html ]'s Taurus-Littrow [ http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/pub/expmoon/Apollo17/A17_lsite.html ] landing site in 1972. Schmidt and fellow astronaut Eugene Cernan [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17.crew.html#genebio ] scooped up some of the unusual orange soil [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/a17/a17.sta4.html ] for detailed inspection back on Earth. Pictured above [ http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/images/pao/AS17/10076006.htm ] is a return sample shown greatly magnified, with its discovery location shown in the inset [ http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/images/pao/AS17/10075960.htm ]. The orange soil [ http://www.lpi.usra.edu/expmoon/Apollo17/A17_sampact.html ] contains particles less than 0.1 millimeter across, some of the smallest particles yet found on the Moon [ http://www.nasm.edu/galleries/attm/wl.so.1.html ]. Lunar geologists now think that the orange soil [ http://www.solarviews.com/cap/moon/moondust.htm ] was created during an ancient fire-fountain [ http://www.solarviews.com/cap/volc/fountain.htm ]. Detailed chemical and dating analyses indicate [ http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=1996LPI....27..303D ] that during an explosive volcanic eruption 3.64 billion years ago, small drops [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000322.html ] of molten rock cooled rapidly into the nearly spherical colored grains. The origin of some of the unusual elements found in the soil [ http://curator.jsc.nasa.gov/curator/lunar/lunar.htm ], however, remains unknown. |
|
Apollo 17's Lunar Rover
| Title |
Apollo 17's Lunar Rover |
| Explanation |
In December of 1972, Apollo 17 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001209.html ] astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt spent about 75 hours exploring [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17j.html ] the Moon's Taurus-Littrow valley [ http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/pub/expmoon/Apollo17/A17_lsite.html ] while colleague Ronald Evans orbited overhead. Cernan and Schmitt were the last humans to walk or ride on the Moon - aided in their explorations [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010523.html ] by a Lunar Roving Vehicle [ http://www-sn.jsc.nasa.gov/PlanetaryMissions/EXLibrary/docs/ ApolloCat/Part1/LRV.htm ]. The skeletal-looking lunar rover was [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/ lrvhand.html ] just over 10 feet long, 6 feet wide and easily carried astronauts, equipment, and rock samples in the Moon's [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/moonfact.html ] low gravity (about 1/6 Earth's). In this picture [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/images17.html ], Cernan stands at the back of the rover which carried the two astronauts in lawn-chair style seats. An umbrella-shaped high gain antenna and TV camera are mounted in the front. Powered by four 1/4 horsepower electric motors, one for each wheel [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990501.html ], this rover was driven a total of about 18 miles across the lunar surface [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/frame.html ]. Its estimated top speed was a blazing 8 miles per hour. |
|
Lunar Dust and Duct Tape
| Title |
Lunar Dust and Duct Tape |
| Explanation |
Why is the Moon dusty [ http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/expmoon/Apollo17/ A17_Experiments_SMI.html ]? On Earth, rocks are weathered by wind and water, creating soil and sand. On the Moon, the long history of micrometeorite [ http://www.hawastsoc.org/solar/eng/edu/ micromet.htm ] bombardment has blasted away at the rocky surface [ http://www-curator.jsc.nasa.gov/curator/lunar/ lunar.htm ] creating a layer of powdery lunar soil or regolith [ http://elvis.neep.wisc.edu/~neep602/9301/ 9301.html ]. This lunar regolith could be a scientific [ http://elvis.neep.wisc.edu/~neep602/FALL97/LEC19/ lecture19.html ] and industrial [ http://elvis.neep.wisc.edu/~neep602/FALL97/LEC20/ lecture20.html ] bonanza. But for the Apollo astronauts and their equipment [ http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/expmoon/Apollo17/ A17_science.html ], the pervasive, fine, gritty dust was definitely a problem. On the lunar surface [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/ ] in December 1972, Apollo 17 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970905.html ] astronauts Harrison Schmitt and Eugene Cernan needed to repair one of their lunar rover's fenders in an effort [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/ a17/a17.eva2prep.html ] to keep the "rooster tails" of dust away from themselves and their gear. This picture reveals [ http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/images/pao/AS17/ 10075959.htm ] the wheel and fender of their dust covered rover along with [ http://www.clavius.org/rover2.html ] the ingenious application of spare maps, clamps, and a grey strip of "duct tape". |
|
Apollo 17's Moonship
| Title |
Apollo 17's Moonship |
| Explanation |
Awkward and angular looking, Apollo 17's lunar module Challenger [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/tmp/1972-096A.html ] was designed for flight [ http://users.specdata.com/home/pullo/lm_mis1.htm ] in the vacuum of space. This sharp picture from the command module America [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/tmp/1972-096C.html ], shows Challenger's ascent stage in lunar orbit. Small reaction control thrusters are at the sides of the moonship with the bell of the ascent rocket engine itself underneath. The hatch allowing access to the lunar surface [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17main.html ] is visible in the front and a round radar antenna appears at the top. This spaceship performed gracefully, landing on the moon and returning the Apollo astronauts to the orbiting command module in December of 1972 - but where is Challenger now? [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/ apolloloc.html ] Its descent stage remains [ http://www.boulder.swri.edu/~durda/Apollo/ ls_17_5aa.html ] at the Apollo 17 landing site [ http://www.boulder.swri.edu/~durda/Apollo/ landing_sites.html ], Taurus-Littrow [ http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/pub/expmoon/Apollo17/ A17_lsite.html ]. The ascent stage was intentionally crashed nearby after being jettisoned from the command module prior to the astronauts' return [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17.homeward.html ] to planet Earth. Apollo 17's mission [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970504.html ] was the sixth and last time astronauts have landed on the moon. "Editor's note:" Eric Jones, Apollo Lunar Surface Journal [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/ frame.html ] editor, comments, "If you look at the [... large, dark] triangular window, you'll see a bright rectangular area - which is the rendezvous window - beneath it, a bright arc. After much discussion, my team of volunteers and I concluded that the bright arc is the top of [mission commander] Gene Cernan's bubble helmet lit by sunlight ..." |
|
An Apollo 17 Panorama
| Title |
An Apollo 17 Panorama |
| Explanation |
What would it be like to stand on the surface of another world, to look all around you, and to try to figure out how this world got there? To get an idea, scroll right. In 1972 during the Apollo 17 [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17j.html ] mission, astronauts Harrison Schmitt [ http://www.astronauts.org/astronauts/schmitt.htm ] and Eugene Cernan [ http://www.astronauts.org/astronauts/cernan.htm ] found out first hand. In this case, the world was Earth [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001127.html ]'s own Moon [ http://www.nineplanets.org/luna.html ]. In one of the more famous panoramas taken on the Moon [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/moon.html ], the magnificent desolation [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001209.html ] of the barren Moon [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap981031.html ] is apparent. Visible are rocks [ http://curator.jsc.nasa.gov/curator/lunar/lunar.htm ], hills [ http://www.lpi.usra.edu/expmoon/orbiter/orbiter-sites.html ], craters [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010428.html ], the lunar rover [ http://www-sn.jsc.nasa.gov/HumanExplore/Exploration/EXLibrary/docs/ApolloCat/Part1/LRV.htm ], and astronaut Schmitt preparing to take a soil sample [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010523.html ]. A few days after this image [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17.sta1.html#1222614 ] was taken, humanity left the Moon [ http://curator.jsc.nasa.gov/curator/lunar/lunar10.htm ] and has yet to return. An interactive version of the above image can be found here [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17vr1222614.htm ]. |
|
Apollo 17: Last on the Moon
| Title |
Apollo 17: Last on the Moon |
| Explanation |
In December of 1972, Apollo 17 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020128.html ] astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt spent about 75 hours [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17j.html ] on the Moon, in the Taurus-Littrow valley [ http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/pub/ expmoon/Apollo17/A17_lsite.html ], while colleague Ronald Evans orbited overhead [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020628.html ]. Near the beginning of their third and final excursion [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17.eva3prep.html ] across the lunar surface [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/ ], Schmitt took this picture of Cernan flanked by an American flag and their lunar rover's [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010609.html ] umbrella-shaped high-gain antenna. The prominent [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/ a17.fam-mtn.html ] Sculptured Hills lie in the background while Schmitt's reflection can just be made out in Cernan's helmet. The Apollo 17 crew [ http://www.ari.net/nss/askastro/Apollo17/ home.html ] returned with 110 kilograms of rock and soil samples, more than from any of the other lunar landing sites [ http://www.boulder.swri.edu/~durda/Apollo/ landing_sites.html ]. And after thirty years, Cernan and Schmitt are still the last to walk [ http://www.alanbeangallery.com/ ] on the Moon. |
|
Lunar Dust and Duct Tape
| Title |
Lunar Dust and Duct Tape |
| Explanation |
Why is the Moon dusty [ http://www.lpi.usra.edu/expmoon/Apollo17/ A17_Experiments_SMI.html ]? On Earth, rocks are weathered by wind and water, creating soil and sand. On the Moon [ http://www.nineplanets.org/luna.html ], the long history of micrometeorite [ http://www.solarviews.com/eng/edu/ micromet.htm ] bombardment has blasted away at the rocky surface [ http://www-curator.jsc.nasa.gov/curator/lunar/ lunar.htm ] creating a layer of powdery lunar soil or regolith [ http://epsc.wustl.edu/admin/resources/meteorites/ regolith_breccia.html ]. This lunar regolith could be a scientific and industrial [ http://www.asi.org/adb/02/02/ regolith-volatiles.html ] bonanza. But for the Apollo astronauts and their equipment [ http://www.lpi.usra.edu/expmoon/Apollo17/ A17_science.html ], the pervasive, fine, gritty dust was definitely a problem. On the lunar surface [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/ ] in December 1972, Apollo 17 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap030111.html ] astronauts Harrison Schmitt and Eugene Cernan needed to repair one of their lunar rover's fenders in an effort [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/ a17/a17.eva2prep.html ] to keep the "rooster tails" of dust away from themselves and their gear. This picture reveals the wheel and fender of their dust covered rover along with [ http://www.clavius.org/rover2.html ] the ingenious application of spare maps, clamps, and a grey strip of "duct tape". |
|
Apollo 17 Panorama: Astronau
…
| Title |
Apollo 17 Panorama: Astronaut Running |
| Explanation |
What would it be like to explore the surface of another world? In 1972 during the Apollo 17 [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17j.html ] mission, astronaut Harrison Schmitt [ http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/schmitt-hh.html ] found out first hand. In this case, the world was Earth [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001127.html ]'s own Moon [ http://www.nineplanets.org/luna.html ]. In this recently compiled panorama of lunar photographs originally taken by astronaut Eugene Cernan [ http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/cernan-ea.html ], the magnificent desolation [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001209.html ] of the barren Moon [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap981031.html ] is apparent. Visible above and by scrolling right are lunar rocks [ http://www-curator.jsc.nasa.gov/curator/lunar/lunar.htm ] in the foreground, lunar mountains [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980705.html ] in the background, some small craters, a lunar rover [ http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/space_level2/apollo15_rover.html ], and astronaut Schmidt on his way back to the rover. A few days after this image [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17.sta1.html#1222614 ] was taken, humanity left the Moon [ http://curator.jsc.nasa.gov/curator/lunar/lunar10.htm ] and has yet to return. |
|
Apollo 17's Lunar Rover
| Title |
Apollo 17's Lunar Rover |
| Explanation |
In December of 1972, Apollo 17 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap031109.html ] astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt spent about 75 hours exploring [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17j.html ] the Moon's Taurus-Littrow valley [ http://www.lpi.usra.edu/expmoon/Apollo17/ A17_lsite.html ] while colleague Ronald Evans orbited overhead [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020628.html ]. Cernan and Schmitt were the last humans to walk or ride on the Moon - aided in their explorations [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010523.html ] by a Lunar Roving Vehicle [ http://ares.jsc.nasa.gov/HumanExplore/Exploration/ EXLibrary/docs/ApolloCat/Part1/LRV.htm ]. The skeletal-looking lunar rover was [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/ lrvhand.html ] just over 10 feet long, 6 feet wide and easily carried astronauts, equipment, and rock samples in the Moon's [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/moonfact.html ] low gravity (about 1/6 Earth's). In this picture [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/images17.html ], Cernan stands at the back of the rover which carried the two astronauts in lawn-chair style seats. An umbrella-shaped high gain antenna and TV camera are mounted in the front. Powered by four 1/4 horsepower electric motors, one for each wheel [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040417.html ], this rover was driven a total of about 18 miles across the lunar surface [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/frame.html ]. Its estimated top speed was a blazing 8 miles per hour. |
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Crater Copernicus
| Title |
Crater Copernicus |
| Explanation |
One of the more prominent craters [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap971117.html ] on the Moon [ http://www.seds.org/nineplanets/nineplanets/luna.html ] is named Copernicus [ http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Copernicus.html ]. Copernicus [ http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/expmoon/orbiter/orbiter-craters.html#COPER ] is a large young crater visible with binoculars slightly northwest of the center of the Moon's Earth-facing hemisphere [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980107.html ]. Copernicus [ http://www.hawastsoc.org/solar/cap/moon/coper.htm ] is distinguished by its size and by the many bright rays pointing out from it. Although Copernicus is relatively young for a lunar crater, it was formed nearly a billion years ago by a colossal impact [ http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/expmoon/science/craterstructure.html ]. The center of Copernicus [ http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/expmoon/Apollo17/ A17_Photography_metric.html#Copernicus ] is about 93 kilometers across. The above picture [ http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/expmoon/science/craterstructure.html#Copernicus ] was taken in 1972 by the last human mission to the moon: Apollo 17 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970905.html ]. The prospects for a return have been boosted recently with increased evidence of ice deposits near the lunar poles [ http://george.arc.nasa.gov/dx/basket/pressrelease/98_47AR.html ]. |
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Bats And The Barren Moon
| Title |
Bats And The Barren Moon |
| Explanation |
This picture [ http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/images/pao/AS17/10075986.htm ], taken as the Apollo 17 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970504.html ] astronauts orbited the Moon in 1972, depicts the stark lunar surface [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960420.html ] around the Eratosthenes and Copernicus [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980909.html ] craters. Images of a Moon devoid of life are familiar to denizens of the space age [ http://lunar.arc.nasa.gov/history/index.html ]. Contrary to this modern perception, life on the Moon was reported in August of 1835 [ http://www.historybuff.com/library/refmoon.html ] in a series of sensational stories first published by the New York Sun - apparently intended to improve the paper's circulation. These descriptions of lunar life [ http://www.bibliography.com/moon/ ] received broad credence and became one of the most spectacular hoaxes in history [ http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/#hoaxes ]. Supposedly based on telescopic observations, the stories featured full, lavish accounts [ http://storyteller.simplenet.com/stseason.html ] of a Moon with oceans and beaches, teeming with plant and animal life and climaxing with reported sightings of winged, furry, human-like creatures resembling bats [ http://www.cccoe.k12.ca.us/bats/resource.html ] ! Within a month the trick had been revealed but the newspaper continued to enjoy an increased readership. For now ... have a safe [ http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/adv/kidspage/hsplash.htm ] and happy Halloween [ http://www.stignatius.org/third/3act.htm ] ! |
|
Apollo 17's Moonship
| Title |
Apollo 17's Moonship |
| Explanation |
Awkward and angular looking, Apollo 17's lunar module Challenger [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/database/www-nmc?72-096C ] was designed for flight [ http://users.specdata.com/home/pullo/lm_mis1.htm ] in the vacuum of space. This sharp picture from the command module America [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/database/www-nmc?72-096A ], shows Challenger's ascent stage in lunar orbit. Small reaction control thrusters are at the sides of the moonship with the bell of the ascent rocket engine itself underneath. The hatch allowing access to the lunar surface [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17main.html ] is visible in the front and a round radar antenna appears at the top. This spaceship performed gracefully, landing on the moon and returning the Apollo astronauts to the orbiting command module in December of 1972 - but where is Challenger now? [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/apolloloc.html ] Its descent stage remains at the Apollo 17 landing site, Taurus-Littrow [ http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/pub/expmoon/Apollo17/A17_lsite.html ]. The ascent stage crashed nearby after being jettisoned from the command module prior to the astronauts' return [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17.homeward.html ] to planet Earth. Apollo 17's mission [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970504.html ] was the sixth and last time astronauts have landed on the moon. |
|
Lunar Dust and Duct Tape
| Title |
Lunar Dust and Duct Tape |
| Explanation |
Why is the Moon dusty [ http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/expmoon/Apollo11/ A11_Experiments_LDD.html ]? On Earth, rocks are weathered by wind and water, creating soil and sand. On the Moon, the long history of micrometeorite [ http://www.hawastsoc.org/solar/eng/edu/micromet.htm ] bombardment has blasted away at the rocky surface [ http://www-curator.jsc.nasa.gov/curator/lunar/lunar.htm ] creating a layer of powdery lunar soil or regolith [ http://elvis.neep.wisc.edu/~neep602/9301/9301.html ]. This lunar regolith could be a scientific [ http://elvis.neep.wisc.edu/~neep602/FALL97/LEC19/lecture19.html ] and industrial [ http://elvis.neep.wisc.edu/~neep602/FALL97/LEC20/lecture20.html ] bonanza. But for the Apollo astronauts and their equipment [ http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/expmoon/Apollo17/A17_science.html ], the pervasive, fine, gritty dust was definitely a problem. On the lunar surface [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/ ] in December 1972, Apollo 17 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970905.html ] astronauts Harrison Schmitt and Eugene Cernan needed to repair one of their lunar rover's fenders in an effort [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/ a17/a17.eva2prep.html ] to keep the "rooster tails" of dust away from themselves and their gear. This picture reveals [ http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/images/pao/AS17/10075959.htm ] the wheel and fender of their dust covered rover along with the ingenious application of spare maps, clamps, and a grey strip of "duct tape". |
|
Apollo 17's Lunar Rover
| Title |
Apollo 17's Lunar Rover |
| Explanation |
In December of 1972, Apollo 17 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960420.html ] astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt spent about 75 hours exploring [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17j.html ] the Moon's Taurus-Littrow valley [ http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/pub/expmoon/Apollo17/A17_lsite.html ] while colleague Ronald Evans orbited overhead. Cernan and Schmitt were the last humans to walk or ride on the Moon - aided in their explorations by a Lunar Roving Vehicle [ http://www.nasm.edu/APOLLO/AS15/LRV.html ]. The skeletal-looking lunar rover was just over 10 feet long, 6 feet wide and easily carried astronauts, equipment, and rock samples in the Moon's [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/moonfact.html ] low gravity (about 1/6 Earth's). In this picture [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/images17.html ], Cernan stands at the back of the rover which carried the two astronauts in lawn-chair style seats. An umbrella-shaped high gain antenna and TV camera are mounted in the front. Powered by four 1/4 horsepower electric motors, one for each wheel [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990501.html ], this rover was driven a total of about 18 miles across the lunar surface [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/frame.html ]. Its estimated top speed was nearly 8 miles per hour. |
|
Astronaut Eugene Cernan salu
…
| Title |
Astronaut Eugene Cernan salutes deployed U.S. flag on lunar surface |
| Description |
Astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, Apollo 17 commander, salutes the deployed U.S. flag on the lunar surface during extravehicular activity (EVA) of NASA's final lunar landing mission in the Apollo series. The lunar module is at the left background and the lunar roving vehicle, also in background, is partially obscured. The photo was made by Astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt, lunar module pilot. |
| Date |
12.13.1972 |
|
Astronaut Harrison Schmitt c
…
| Title |
Astronaut Harrison Schmitt collects lunar rake samples during EVA |
| Description |
Scientist-Astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt collects lunar rake samples at Station 1 during the first Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA-1) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. This picture was taken by Astronatu Eugene Cernan, Apollo 17 commander. Schmitt is the lunar module pilot. The lunar rake, An Apollo lunar geology hand tool, is used to collect discrete samples of rocks and rock chips ranging in size from one-half inch (1.3 cm) to one inch (2.5 cm). |
| Date |
12.11.1972 |
|
Astronaut Harrison Schmitt c
…
| Title |
Astronaut Harrison Schmitt collects lunar rake samples during EVA |
| Description |
Scientist-Astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt collects lunar rake samples at Station 1 during the first Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA-1) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. This picture was taken by Astronaut Eugene Cernan, Apollo 17 commander. Schmitt is the lunar module pilot. The lunar rake, an Apollo lunar geology hand tool, is used to collect discrete samples of rocks and rock chips ranging in size from one-half inch (1.3 cm) to one inch (2.5 cm). |
| Date |
12.11.1972 |
|
Astronaut Harrison Schmitt n
…
| Title |
Astronaut Harrison Schmitt next to deployed U.S. flag on lunar surface |
| Description |
Scientist-Astronaut Harrison Schmitt, Apollo 17 lunar module pilot, is photographed next to the U.S. flag during extravehicular activity (EVA) of NASA's final lunar landing mission in the Apollo series. The photo was taken at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. The highest part of the flag appears to point toward our planet earth in the distant background. |
| Date |
12.13.1972 |
|
Astronaut Harrison Schmitt s
…
| Title |
Astronaut Harrison Schmitt seated in Lunar Roving Vehicle during EVA-3 |
| Description |
Scientist-Astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt is photographed seated in the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) at Station 9 (Van Serg Crater) during the third Apollo 17 extrvehicular activity (EVA-3) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. This photograph was taken by Astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, crew commander. |
| Date |
12.13.1972 |
|
Wide-angle view of Apollo 17
…
| Title |
Wide-angle view of Apollo 17 lunar landing site |
| Description |
Wide-angle view of the Apollo 17 Taurus-Littrow lunar landing site. To the left in the background is the Lunar Module. To the right in the background is the Lunar Roving vehicle. An Apollo 17 crewmember is photographed between the two points. The shadow of the astronaut taking the photograph can be seen in the right foreground. |
| Date |
12.10.1972 |
|
Astronaut Ronald Evans photo
…
| Title |
Astronaut Ronald Evans photographed during transearth coast EVA |
| Description |
Astronaut Ronald E. Evans is photographed performing extravehicular activity (EVA) during the Apollo 17 spacecraft's transearth coast. During his EVA Command Module pilot Evans retrieved film cassettes from the Lunar Sounder, Mapping Camera, and Panoramic Camera. The cylindrical object at Evans left side is the mapping camera cassette. The total time for the transearth EVA was one hour seven minutes 19 seconds, starting at ground elapsed time of 257:25 (2:28 p.m.) amd ending at ground elapsed time of 258:42 (3:35 p.m.) on Sunday, December 17, 1972. |
| Date Taken |
1972-12-17 |
|
Full disc of moon photograph
…
| Title |
Full disc of moon photographed by Apollo 17 crewmen during transearth coast |
| Description |
This full disc of the moon was photographed by the Apollo 17 crewmen during their transearth coast homeward following a successful lunar landing mission in December 1972. Mare seen on this photo include Serentatis, Tranquillitatis, Nectaris, Foecunditatis and Crisium. |
| Date Taken |
1972-12-14 |
|
Astronaut Ronald Evans photo
…
| Title |
Astronaut Ronald Evans photographed during transearth coast EVA |
| Description |
Astronaut Ronald E. Evans is photographed performing extravehicular activity (EVA) during the Apollo 17 spacecraft's transearth coast. During his EVA Command Module pilot Evans retrieved film cassettes from the Lunar Sounder, Mapping Camera, and Panoramic Camera. The cylindrical object at Evans left side is the mapping camera cassette. The total time for the transearth EVA was one hour seven minutes 19 seconds, starting at ground elapsed time of 257:25 (2:28 p.m.) amd ending at ground elapsed time of 258:42 (3:35 p.m.) on Sunday, December 17, 1972. |
| Date Taken |
1972-12-17 |
|
Astronaut Ronald Evans photo
…
| Title |
Astronaut Ronald Evans photographed during transearth coast EVA |
| Description |
Astronaut Ronald E. Evans is photographed performing extravehicular activity (EVA) during the Apollo 17 spacecraft's transearth coast. During his EVA Command Module pilot Evans retrieved film cassettes from the Lunar Sounder, Mapping Camera, and Panoramic Camera. The total time for the transearth EVA was one hour seven minutes 19 seconds, starting at ground elapsed time of 257:25 (2:28 p.m.) amd ending at ground elapsed time of 258:42 (3:35 p.m.) on Sunday, December 17, 1972. |
| Date Taken |
1972-12-17 |
|
Apollo 17 command module spl
…
| Title |
Apollo 17 command module splashdown in South Pacific Ocean |
| Description |
The Apollo 17 command module, with astronauts Eugene A. Cernan, Ronald E. Evans and Harrison H. Schmitt aboard, nears splashdown in the South Pacific Ocean to conclude the final lunar landing mission in the Apollo program. This overhead view was taken from a recovery aircraft seconds before the spacecraft hit the water. The splashdown occurred at 304:31:59 ground elapsed time, 1:24:59 p.m. December 19, 1972 about 350 nautical miles southeast of the Samoan Islands. |
| Date Taken |
1972-12-19 |
|
Launch of the Apollo 17 luna
…
| Title |
Launch of the Apollo 17 lunar landing mission |
| Description |
The 363-feet tall Apollo 17 (Spacecraft 114/Lunar Module 12/Saturn 512) space vehicle is launched 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 nighttime liftoff of the Saturn V launch vehicle. Flame from the five F-1 engines of the Apollo/Saturn first (S-1C) stage illuminates the nighttime scene. |
| Date Taken |
1972-12-07 |
|
Apollo 17 lunar module "Chal
…
| Title |
Apollo 17 lunar module "Challenger" liftoff from Taurus-Littrow landing site |
| Description |
The Apollo 17 lunar module (LM) "Challenger" ascent stage makes its liftoff from the lunar surface, as seen in this reproduction taken from a color television transmission made by the color RCA TV camera mounted on the lunar roving vehicle. The LM liftoff was at 188:01:36 ground elapsed time, 4:54:36 p.m., Thursday, December 14, 1972. The LM descent stage is used as a launching platform and remains behind on the Moon. |
| Date Taken |
1972-12-14 |
|
Launch of the Apollo 17 luna
…
| Title |
Launch of the Apollo 17 lunar landing mission |
| Description |
The 363-feet tall Apollo 17 (Spacecraft 114/Lunar Module 12/Saturn 512) space vehicle is launched 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 nighttime liftoff of the Saturn V launch vehicle. Flame from the five F-1 engines of the Apollo/Saturn first (S-1C) stage illuminates the nighttime scene. |
| Date Taken |
1972-12-07 |
|
Apollo 17 lunar module "Chal
…
| Title |
Apollo 17 lunar module "Challenger" liftoff from Taurus-Littrow landing site |
| Description |
The Apollo 17 lunar module (LM) "Challenger" ascent stage leaves the Taurus-Littrow landing site as it makes its spectacular liftoff from the lunar surface, as seen in this reproduction taken from a color television transmission made by the color RCA TV camera mounted on the lunar roving vehicle. The LM liftoff was at 188:01:36 ground elapsed time, 4:54:36 p.m., Thursday, December 14, 1972. The LM descent stage is used as a launching platform and remains behind on the Moon. Here, the two stages have completely separated and the ascent stage is headed skyward. |
| Date Taken |
1972-12-14 |
|
Apollo 17 command module in
…
| Title |
Apollo 17 command module in South Pacific Ocean before recovery operations |
| Description |
A water-level view of the Apollo 17 command module floating in the Pacific following splashdown and prior to recovery. The prime recovery ship, U.S.S. Ticonderoga, is in the background. A U.S. Navy UDT swimmer stands on the flotation collar. Apollo 17 splashdown occured at 1:24:59 p.m., December 19, 1972, about 350 nautical miles southeast of Samoa. |
| Date Taken |
1972-12-19 |
|
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