Browse All : Moon from 1972

Luna 20

title	Luna 20
date	02.14.1972
description	This was the eighth Soviet spacecraft launched to return lunar soil to Earth. It was evidently sent to complete the mission that Luna 18 had failed to accomplish. After a 4.5- day flight to the Moon, which included a single midcourse correction on 15 February, Luna 20 entered orbit around the Moon on 18 February. Initial orbital parameters were 100 x 100 kilometers at 65° inclination. Three days later, at 19:13 UT, the spacecraft fired its main engine for 267 seconds to begin descent to the lunar surface. A second firing further reduced velocity before Luna 20 set down safely on the Moon at 19:19 UT on 21 February 1972 at coordinates 3°32' north latitude and 56°33' east longitude, only 1.8 kilometers from the crash site of Luna 18. After collecting a small sample of lunar soil, the spacecraft's ascent stage lifted off at 22:58 UT on 22 February and quickly accelerated to 2.7 kilometers per second velocity -- sufficient to return to Earth. The small spherical capsule eventually parachuted down safely on an island in the Karkingir River, 40 kilometers north of the town of Dzhezkazgan in Kazakhstan, at 19:19 UT on 25 February 1972. The 55-gram soil sample differed from that collected by Luna 16 in that the majority (50 to 60 percent) of the rock particles in the newer sample were ancient anorthosite (which consists largely of feldspar) rather than the basalt of the earlier one (which contained about 1 to 2 percent of anorthosite). Like the Luna 16 soil, samples of the Luna 20 collection were shared with American and French scientists.

Luna 19

title	Luna 19
date	09.28.1971
description	Luna 19 was the first of "advanced" lunar orbiters whose design was based upon the same Ye-8-class bus used for the lunar rovers and the sample collectors. For these orbiters, designated Ye-8LS, the basic "lander stage" was topped off by a wheelless Lunokhod-like frame that housed all scientific instrumentation in a pressurized container. Luna 19 entered orbit around the Moon on 2 October 1972 after two midcourse corrections on 29 September and 1 October. Initial orbital parameters were 140 x 140 kilometers at 40.58° inclination. Soon after, the spacecraft began its main imaging mission -- to provide panoramic images of the mountainous region of the Moon between 30° and 60° south latitude and between 20° and 80° east longitude. Other scientific experiments included extensive studies on the shape and strength of the lunar gravitation field and the locations of mascons. Occultation experiments in May and June 1972 allowed scientists to determine the concentration of charged particles at an altitude of 10 kilometers. Additional studies of the solar wind were evidently coordinated with those performed by the Mars 2 and 3 orbiters and Veneras 7 and 8. Communications with Luna 19 were terminated sometime between 3 and 20 October 1972 after a year of operations, during more than 4,000 revolutions of the Moon.

Lunar Prospector in Clean Ro …

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

Apollo 16 Command and Service Module Over the Moon

Apollo 16 Command and Servic …

Title	Apollo 16 Command and Service Module Over the Moon
Full Description	In this photo, the Apollo 16 Command and Service Module (CSM) "Casper" approaches the Lunar Module (LM). The two spacecraft were about to make their final rendezvous of the mission, on April 23, 1972. Astronauts John W. Young and Charles M. Duke Jr., aboard the LM, were returning to the CSM in lunar orbit after three successful days on the lunar surface. Astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly II was in the CSM.
Date	04/23/1972
NASA Center	Johnson Space Center

Apollo 16 Launch

Title	Apollo 16 Launch
Full Description	The Apollo 16 Saturn V space vehicle carrying astronauts John W. Young, Thomas K. Mattingly II, and Charles M. Duke, Jr., lifted off to the Moon at 12:54 p.m. EST April 16, 1972, from the Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A.
Date	4/16/1972
NASA Center	Kennedy Space Center

Apollo 16 Moon Plaque Instal …

Title	Apollo 16 Moon Plaque Installation
Full Description	Working inside the Apollo 16 Saturn V space vehicle at the launch pad, Grumman Aerospace Corporation technician Ken Crow attaches a plaque bearing the names and signatures of the Apollo 16 crew to the front leg of the lunar module's descent stage. The stainless steel plaque, which will remain on the lunar surface, measures 18 by 23 cm (seven by nine inches) and will bear the names of the Apollo 16 astronauts, John W. Young, mission Commander, Thomas K. Mattingly II, Command Module Pilot, and Charles M. Duke, Jr., Lunar Module Pilot.
Date	4/10/1972
NASA Center	Kennedy 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 Pre-Launch

Title	Apollo 17 Pre-Launch
Full Description	The Apollo 17 Space Vehicle sits poised beneath a full moon on Launch Pad 39A during launch countdown. Astronauts Eugene A. Cernan, Commander, Ronald A. Evans, Command Module Pilot, and Dr. Harrison H. Jack Schmitt, Lunar Module Pilot, will be the crew for the sixth manned lunar landing mission.
Date	12/6/1972
NASA Center	Kennedy Space Center

Astronaut Charles Duke with Lunar Rover on Moon

Astronaut Charles Duke with …

Title	Astronaut Charles Duke with Lunar Rover on Moon
Full Description	Astronaut Charles M. Duke, Jr., lunar module pilot during the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission, worked at the Lunar Roving Vehicle in center background. The lunar surface around Duke was scattered with small rocks and boulders. Other Apollo 16 astronauts were John W. Young, commander, and Thomas K. Mattingly II, command module pilot, who remained with the Command and Service Module in lunar orbit.
Date	05/02/1972
NASA Center	Headquarters

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 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 Moon by Apollo 17 Astronauts

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

Shepard and Schmitt Enjoying a Light Hearted Moment

Shepard and Schmitt Enjoying …

Title	Shepard and Schmitt Enjoying a Light Hearted Moment
Full Description	Apollo 17 Lunar Module Pilot Harrison H. Schmitt shares a moment of relaxation with astronaut Alan Shepard during prelaunch suiting operations. Schmitt will explore the Moon's Taurus-Littrow region with Mission Commander Eugene A. Cernan during NASA's sixth and last manned lunar landing mission. The third crewman, Ronald E. Evans, will pilot the command module alone in lunar orbit during his crewmates' surface exploration.
Date	12/6/1972
NASA Center	Kennedy 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

NASA's Hubble Looks for Possible Moon Resources

NASA's Hubble Looks for Poss …

Title	NASA's Hubble Looks for Possible Moon Resources

NASA's Hubble Looks for Poss …

Title	NASA's Hubble Looks for Possible Moon Resources

NASA's Hubble Looks for Poss …

Title	NASA's Hubble Looks for Possible Moon Resources

NASA's Hubble Looks for Poss …

Title	NASA's Hubble Looks for Possible Moon Resources

AC72-1353

Date: Dec. 1972 Pioneer 10 A …

12/2/72

Description	Date: Dec. 1972 Pioneer 10 Artwork Spacecraft shown only 11 hours after launch passing the orbit of the Moon in this artist concept on it's way to orbit above Jupiter's surface (used in NASA SP-349)
Date	12/2/72

Apollo 16 Astronaut Salutes …

Name of Image	Apollo 16 Astronaut Salutes the U.S. Flag on Lunar Surface
Date of Image	1972-01-16
Full Description	An Apollo 16 astronaut salutes the U.S. flag on the lunar surface. The Lunar Module (LM) and Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) can be seen behind him. Apollo 16 launched from the Kennedy Space Center on April 16, 1972 for a 3-day stay on Earth's Moon. It?s 3-man crew consisted of Thomas K. Mattingly II, Command Module pilot, John W. Young, Mission Commander, and Charles M. Duke Jr., Lunar Module pilot. The first study of the highlands area, the landing site for Apollo 16 was the Descartes Highlands. The fifth lunar landing mission out of six, Apollo 16 was famous for deploying and using an ultraviolet telescope as the first lunar observatory. The telescope photographed ultraviolet light emitted by Earth and other celestial objects. The LRV, developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center, was also used for collecting rocks and data on the mysterious lunar highlands. The mission ended April 27, 1972 as the crew splashed down into the Pacific Ocean.

Apollo 16 Launch

Name of Image	Apollo 16 Launch
Date of Image	1972-04-16
Full Description	The sixth marned lunar landing mission, the Apollo 16 (SA-511), carrying three astronauts: Mission commander John W. Young, Command Module pilot Thomas K. Mattingly II, and Lunar Module pilot Charles M. Duke, lifted off on April 16, 1972. The Apollo 16 continued the broad-scale geological, geochemical, and geophysical mapping of the Moon's crust, begun by the Apollo 15, from lunar orbit. This mission marked the first use of the Moon as an astronomical observatory by using the ultraviolet camera/spectrograph. It photographed ultraviolet light emitted by Earth and other celestial objects. The Lunar Roving Vehicle was also used. The mission ended on April 27, 1972.

Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV)

Name of Image	Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV)
Date of Image	1972-04-21
Full Description	The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) was designed by Marshall Space Flight Center to transport astronauts and materials on the Moon. An LRV was used on each of the last three Apollo missions, Apollo 15, Apollo 16, and Apollo 17, in 1971 and 1972, to permit the crew to travel several miles from the lunar landing site. This photograph was taken during the Apollo 16 mission in 1972.

Apollo 17 Astronaut Cernan A …

Name of Image	Apollo 17 Astronaut Cernan Adjusts U.S. Flag on Lunar Surface
Date of Image	1972-12-12
Full Description	In this Apollo 17 onboard photo, Mission Commander Eugene A. Cernan adjusts the U.S. flag deployed upon the Moon. The seventh and last manned lunar landing and return to Earth mission, the Apollo 17, carrying a crew of three astronauts: Cernan, Lunar Module pilot Harrison H. Schmitt, and Command Module pilot Ronald E. Evans, lifted off on December 7, 1972 from the Kennedy Space Flight Center (KSC). Scientific objectives of the Apollo 17 mission included geological surveying and sampling of materials and surface features in a preselected area of the Taurus-Littrow region, deploying and activating surface experiments, and conducting in-flight experiments and photographic tasks during lunar orbit and transearth coast (TEC). These objectives included: Deployed experiments such as the Apollo lunar surface experiment package (ALSEP) with a Heat Flow experiment, Lunar seismic profiling (LSP), Lunar surface gravimeter (LSG), Lunar atmospheric composition experiment (LACE) and Lunar ejecta and meteorites (LEAM). The mission also included Lunar Sampling and Lunar orbital experiments. Biomedical experiments included the Biostack II Experiment and the BIOCORE experiment. The mission marked the longest Apollo mission, 504 hours, and the longest lunar surface stay time, 75 hours, which allowed the astronauts to conduct an extensive geological investigation. They collected 257 pounds (117 kilograms) of lunar samples with the use of the Marshall Space Flight Center developed LRV. The mission ended on December 19, 1972

Apollo 16 Onboard Photograph …

Name of Image	Apollo 16 Onboard Photograph: Back Side of the Moon
Date of Image	1972-04-18
Full Description	This view of the back side of the Moon was captured by the Apollo 16 mission crew. The sixth manned lunar landing mission, the Apollo 16 (SA-511), carrying three astronauts: Mission Commander John W. Young, Command Module pilot Thomas K. Mattingly II, and Lunar Module pilot Charles M. Duke, lifted off on April 16, 1972. The Apollo 16 continued the broad-scale geological, geochemical, and geophysical mapping of the Moon?s crust, begun by the Apollo 15, from lunar orbit. This mission marked the first use of the Moon as an astronomical observatory by using the ultraviolet camera/spectrograph which photographed ultraviolet light emitted by Earth and other celestial objects. The Lunar Roving Vehicle, developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center, was also used. The mission ended on April 27, 1972.

Apollo 16 Crew Aboard Rescue …

Name of Image	Apollo 16 Crew Aboard Rescue Ship
Date of Image	1962-04-27
Full Description	The Apollo 16 Command Module splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on April 27, 1972 after an 11-day moon exploration mission. The 3-man crew is shown here aboard the rescue ship, USS Horton. From left to right are: Mission Commander John W. Young, Lunar Module pilot Charles M. Duke, and Command Module pilot Thomas K. Mattingly II. The sixth manned lunar landing mission, the Apollo 16 (SA-511) lifted off on April 16, 1972. The Apollo 16 mission continued the broad-scale geological, geochemical, and geophysical mapping of the Moon?s crust, begun by the Apollo 15, from lunar orbit. This mission marked the first use of the Moon as an astronomical observatory by using the ultraviolet camera/spectrograph which photographed ultraviolet light emitted by Earth and other celestial objects. The Lunar Roving Vehicle, developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center, was also used.

Apollo 16 Launch

Name of Image	Apollo 16 Launch
Date of Image	1972-04-16
Full Description	The sixth manned lunar landing mission, the Apollo 16 (SA-511), carrying three astronauts: Mission Commander John W. Young, Command Module pilot Thomas K. Mattingly II, and Lunar Module pilot Charles M. Duke, lifted off on April 16, 1972. The Apollo 16 mission continued the broad-scale geological, geochemical, and geophysical mapping of the Moon?s crust, begun by the Apollo 15, from lunar orbit. This mission marked the first use of the Moon as an astronomical observatory by using the ultraviolet camera/spectrograph which photographed ultraviolet light emitted by Earth and other celestial objects. The Lunar Roving Vehicle, developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center, was also used. The mission ended on April 27, 1972.

Apollo 16 Splashdown

Name of Image	Apollo 16 Splashdown
Date of Image	1972-04-27
Full Description	The Apollo 16 Command Module splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on April 27, 1972 after an 11-day moon exploration mission. The sixth manned lunar landing mission, the Apollo 16 (SA-511), carrying three astronauts: Mission Commander John W. Young, Command Module pilot Thomas K. Mattingly II, and Lunar Module pilot Charles M. Duke, lifted off on April 16, 1972. The Apollo 16 continued the broad-scale geological, geochemical, and geophysical mapping of the Moon?s crust, begun by the Apollo 15, from lunar orbit. This mission marked the first use of the Moon as an astronomical observatory by using the ultraviolet camera/spectrograph which photographed ultraviolet light emitted by Earth and other celestial objects. The Lunar Roving Vehicle, developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center, was also used.

Apollo 16 Crew Portrait

Name of Image	Apollo 16 Crew Portrait
Date of Image	1972-01-12
Full Description	This is the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission crew portrait. Pictured from left to right are: Thomas K. Mattingly II, Command Module pilot, John W. Young, Mission Commander, and Charles M. Duke Jr., Lunar Module pilot. Launched from the Kennedy Space Center on April 16, 1972, Apollo 16 spent three days on Earth's Moon. The first study of the highlands area, the landing site for Apollo 16 was the Descartes Highlands. The fifth lunar landing mission out of six, Apollo 16 was famous for deploying and using an ultraviolet telescope as the first lunar observatory. The telescope photographed ultraviolet light emitted by Earth and other celestial objects. The Lunar Roving Vehicle, developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center, was also used for collecting rocks and data on the mysterious lunar highlands. In this photo, astronaut John W. Young photographs Charles M. Duke, Jr. collecting rock samples at the Descartes landing site. Duke stands by Plum Crater while the Lunar Roving Vehicle waits parked in the background. High above, Thomas K. Mattingly orbits in the Command Module. The mission ended April 27, 1972 as the crew splashed down into the Pacific Ocean.

Apollo 16: Exploring Plum Cr …

Title	Apollo 16: Exploring Plum Crater
Explanation	Apollo 16 [ http://www.nasm.edu/APOLLO/AS16/Apollo16_fact.html ] spent three days on Earth's Moon [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/moon.html ] in April 1972. The fifth lunar landing mission [ http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/history/apollo/apollo-16/apollo-16.html ] out of six, Apollo 16 [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a16/a16j.html ] was famous for deploying and using an ultraviolet telescope as the first lunar observatory [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960608.html ], and for collecting rocks and data on the mysterious lunar highlands [ http://www.nasm.edu/APOLLO/AS16/Apollo16_MissionObj.html ]. In the above picture, astronaut John W. Young [ http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/persons/astronauts/u-to-z/YoungJW.txt ] photographs Charles M. Duke, Jr. [ http://nauts.com/astro/duke/duke.html ] collecting rock samples [ http://www.nasm.edu/apollo/apollotop10.htm ] at the Descartes landing site [ http://www.nasm.edu/APOLLO/AS16/Apollo16_LandingSite.html ]. Duke stands by Plum Crater while the Lunar Roving Vehicle [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990501.html ] waits parked in the background. The Lunar Roving Vehicle [ http://www.nasm.edu/apollo/lrv/lrv.htm ] allowed the astronauts to travel great distances to investigate surface features and collect rocks. High above, Thomas K. Mattingly orbits in the Command Module.

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.

The First Lunar Observatory

Title	The First Lunar Observatory
Explanation	The first, and so far only, lunar astronomical observatory [ http://snoopy.gsfc.nasa.gov/~lunartel/lunar1.html ] was deployed by the Apollo 16 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960607.html ] crew in 1972. The Far Ultraviolet Camera / Spectrograph [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/tmp/1972-031C-10.html ] used a 3-inch diameter Schmidt telescope to photograph the Earth [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000701.html ], nebulae [ http://nineplanets.org/twn/ ], star clusters [ http://www.allthesky.com/clusters/clusters.html ], and the Large Magellanic Cloud [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap000222.html ]. The tripod mounted astronomical equipment is seen above [ http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/images/pao/AS16/10075848.htm ], placed in the shadow of the Lunar Module [ http://www.nasm.edu/galleries/attm/nojs/ a11.am.lm.1.html ] (right) so it would not overheat. Also in the shadow is astronaut Charles Duke with the lunar rover [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap990701.html ] in the background. The Far Ultraviolet Camera [ http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/pub/expmoon/Apollo16/ A16_Experiments_UVC.html ] took pictures in ultraviolet light which would normally be blocked by the Earth's atmosphere. It was created by George Carruthers (NRL [ http://nrl.navy.mil/ ]), had a field of view of twenty degrees, and could detect stars having visual magnitude [ http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/academy/universe/MAG.HTML ] brighter than eleven. One hundred seventy-eight images were recorded in a film cartridge which the astronauts returned to Earth. The observatory still stands on the Moon [ http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/expmoon/lunar_missions.html ] today.

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.

Welcome to Planet Earth

Title	Welcome to Planet Earth
Explanation	Welcome to Planet Earth [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/earth.html ], the third planet from a star [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star ] named the Sun [ http://www.darkmattermag.com/august03/dark_science.htm ]. The Earth is shaped like a sphere [ http://octopus.gma.org/space1/nav_map.html ] and composed mostly of rock [ http://www.seismo.unr.edu/ftp/pub/louie/class/plate/composition.html ]. Over 70 percent of the Earth's surface is water [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980530.html ]. The planet has a relatively thin atmosphere [ http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/earth/atmosphere.html ] composed mostly of nitrogen [ http://periodic.lanl.gov/elements/7.html ] and oxygen [ http://periodic.lanl.gov/elements/8.html ]. The above picture [ http://grin.hq.nasa.gov/ABSTRACTS/GPN-2000-001138.html ] of Earth, dubbed Blue Marble [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blue_Marble ], was taken from Apollo 17 [ http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/history/apollo/apollo-17/apollo-17.html ] in 1972 and features Africa and Antarctica. It is thought to be one of the most widely distributed photographs [ http://neil.fraser.name/writing/earth/ ] of any kind. Earth has a single large Moon [ http://www.nineplanets.org/luna.html ] that is about 1/4 of its diameter and, from the planet's surface, is seen to have almost exactly the same angular size as the Sun [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap061204.html ]. With its abundance of liquid water [ http://www.epa.gov/OW/ ], Earth [ http://www.nineplanets.org/earth.html ] supports a large variety of life forms [ http://cmex.ihmc.us/VikingCD/Puzzle/Evolife.htm ], including potentially intelligent species such as dolphins [ http://www.littletownmart.com/dolphins/ ] and humans [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960629.html ]. Please enjoy your stay on Planet Earth.

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.

Apollo 17: Shorty Crater Pan …

Title	Apollo 17: Shorty Crater Panorama
Explanation	In December of 1972, Apollo 17 [ http://www.lpi.usra.edu/expmoon/Apollo17/ Apollo17.html ] astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt spent about 75 hours on the Moon [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/ ] in the Taurus-Littrow [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a17/a17OTM.html ] valley, while colleague Ronald Evans orbited overhead. This sharp panorama is digitally stitched together from pictures taken by Cernan as he and Schmitt roamed the valley floor [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040417.html ]. Starting with a view of the imposing South Massif, scrolling the panorama to the right will reveal Schmitt and the lunar rover [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040605.html ] at the edge of Shorty Crater, near the spot where geologist Schmitt discovered orange [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010523.html ] lunar soil. The Apollo 17 crew returned with 110 kilograms of rock [ http://www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/cchoice/moonrocks/ moonrocks6.htm ] and soil samples, more than was returned from any of the other lunar landing sites [ http://www.boulder.swri.edu/~durda/Apollo/ landing_sites.html ]. Now thirty five years later, Cernan and Schmitt are still the last [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap051210.html ] to walk on the Moon [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060826.html ].

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 ..."

The Earth from Apollo 17

Title	The Earth from Apollo 17
Explanation	In 1972 Astronauts on the United States's last lunar mission, Apollo 17, took this picture looking back at the Earth on their way to the moon. The continents of Antarctica and Africa are visible below the delicate wisps of white clouds. For more information see NASA NSSDC press release. [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/photo_gallery/caption/apollo17_earth.txt ]

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 ].

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

Lunar Module at Taurus-Littr …

Title	Lunar Module at Taurus-Littrow
Explanation	Can the Hubble Space Telescope [ http://hubblesite.org/ ] take a picture that shows the Apollo lunar modules [ http://users.specdata.com/home/pullo/lm_mis1.htm ] on the Moon? With its 2.4 meter diameter mirror [ http://hubblesite.org/sci.d.tech/nuts_.and._bolts/optics/ ], the smallest object that the Hubble can resolve [ http://astrosun.tn.cornell.edu/courses/astro201/ purpose.htm ] at the Moon's distance [ http://www.nineplanets.org/luna.html ] of around 400,000 kilometers is about 80 meters across. So, from low Earth orbit even Hubble's sharp vision can not image the Apollo lunar module descent stages, at most a few meters across, left behind [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap981213.html ] at the lunar landing sites [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/ apolloland.html ]. A space telescope over ten times the size of Hubble could ... or a much smaller telescope in close lunar orbit. In fact, this picture does just resolve Apollo 17's Lunar Module, Challenger [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020105.html ], and its shadow on the cratered floor [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020128.html ] of the Taurus-Littrow valley in the Moon's Mare [ http://www.fourmilab.ch/earthview/lunarform/ maria.html ] Serenitatis. It was taken in 1972 from the Apollo 17 Command Module, America [ http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/tmp/ 1972-096A.html ], orbiting about 100 kilometers above the Moon's surface and covers an area about 1.1 kilometers wide. Using a web site [ http://www.boulder.swri.edu/~durda/Apollo/ landing_sites.html ] created by Dan Durda of Southwest Research Institute, armchair astronauts can explore orbital views of this and the 5 other Apollo [ http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/apollo.html ] lunar landing sites.

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.

The First Lunar Observatory

Title	The First Lunar Observatory
Explanation	The first and only lunar astronomical observatory was deployed by the Apollo 16 [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960607.html ] crew in 1972. The Far Ultraviolet Camera / Spectrograph [ http://www-sn.jsc.nasa.gov/explore/Data/Apollo/Part1/UVC.htm ] used a 3-inch diameter telescope to photograph the Earth [ http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/images/pao/AS16/10075874.htm ], various nebulae [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap950925.html ], star clusters [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960221.html ], and the Large Magellanic Cloud [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap950918.html ]. The camera is seen above placed in the shadow of the Lunar Module [ http://www.nasm.edu/APOLLO/LMordered.html ] so it would not overheat. A leg of the Lunar Module enters the picture from the left. The camera took pictures in ultraviolet light which would normally be blocked by the Earth's atmosphere [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap960527.html ]. The Far Ultraviolet Camera [ http://cass.jsc.nasa.gov/pub/expmoon/Apollo16/A16_Experiments_UVC.html ] was created by George Carruthers (NRL [ http://dsuap1.nrl.navy.mil/7609/home.html ]), had a field of view of 20 degrees, and could detect stars having visual magnitude [ http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/academy/universe/MAG.HTML ] brighter than 11. 178 images were recorded in a film cartridge which was returned to Earth [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/lib/earth.html ]. The observatory stands on the Moon [ http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/lib/moon.html ] even today.

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.

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.

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