Crewed spacecraftFlown
Apollo 17 · America and Challenger
Apollo command/service and lunar module spacecraft
Vehicle and mission dossier
Apollo 17
Apollo 17 was the final crewed lunar landing of the Apollo program and its most extensive scientific surface . Eugene Cernan and geologist Harrison Schmitt spent more than three days in the Taurus-Littrow valley, completed three traverses, deployed the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package, and collected about 110 kilograms of samples while Ronald Evans operated the command module America in lunar orbit.
Flight profile
- Launch
- December 7, 1972
- Landing
- December 19, 1972
- Mission duration
- 12 days, 13 hours, 51 minutes, 59 seconds
Places and recovery
Vehicle record
- Command module
- America (CM-114)
- Service module
- SM-114
- Lunar module
- Challenger (LM-12)
- Manufacturers
- North American Rockwell (CSM) and Grumman (LM)
- Launch vehicle
- Saturn V SA-512
- Flight
- Apollo 17, December 7–19, 1972
- Status
- Command module recovered; lunar module impacted the Moon
- Mission type
- Extended crewed lunar landing
- Program
- Apollo
- Crew complement
- 3
- Outcome
- Completed
- Archive classification
- Human spaceflight
- Primary objective
- Final Apollo lunar landing
Flight objectives
- Land in the Taurus-Littrow valley and investigate materials from both the lunar highlands and the valley floor.
- Complete three -supported geology traverses and return a large, carefully documented collection of lunar samples.
- Deploy and operate the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package and additional surface instruments.
- Conduct orbital photography, mapping, and scientific measurements from the command and America.
Flight timeline
- December 7, 1972Apollo 17 beginsAmerica and Challenger began Apollo 17 to Land in the Taurus-Littrow valley and investigate materials from both the lunar highlands and the valley floor.
- OperationsComplete three -supported geology traverses and return a large, carefully documented collection of lunar samplesCommand and : America (CSM-114); Lunar module: Challenger (LM-12); Surface mobility: Lunar Roving Vehicle 3
- Defining resultApollo 17: Land in the Taurus-Littrow valley and investigate materials from both the lunar highlands and the valley floorApollo 17 was the final crewed lunar landing of the Apollo program and its most extensive scientific surface .
- December 19, 1972Apollo 17: CompletedConduct orbital photography, mapping, and scientific measurements from the command and service module America.
