The Last Time Humans Walked on the Moon
On December 7, 1972, three astronauts blasted off from Earth in a rocket called the Saturn V. Their mission was to land on the moon and explore it. The astronauts were Commander Gene Cernan, Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt, and Command Module Pilot Ronald Evans.
The Saturn V rocket was the most powerful rocket ever built. It took the astronauts to the moon in just three days. On December 11, 1972, the astronauts landed in the Taurus-Littrow Valley on the moon.
Cernan and Schmitt spent 22 hours and 6 minutes on the moon. They drove around in a lunar rover, collected samples of rocks and soil, and conducted experiments. They also took a lot of pictures.
On December 14, 1972, it was time for the astronauts to leave the moon. They blasted off in their lunar module and headed back to Earth. They splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on December 19, 1972.
Apollo 17 was the last time humans have walked on the moon. It was a great achievement, and it showed the world what humans are capable of. It also inspired a generation of children to dream of exploring space.
Fun Facts about Apollo 17
- The Apollo 17 astronauts brought back over 75 pounds of lunar samples.
- The lunar rover used by Cernan and Schmitt traveled over 20 miles on the moon.
- The astronauts took over 12,000 pictures of the moon during their mission.
- Apollo 17 was the longest moon mission ever flown, lasting over 12 days.
The Future of Space Exploration
The Apollo 17 mission was a major milestone in the history of space exploration. It showed that humans can travel to the moon and safely return to Earth. However, there is still much more to learn about space.
In the future, we hope to send humans back to the moon, and eventually to Mars. We also hope to learn more about the solar system and the universe. With continued research and development, we can one day explore the vastness of space and learn more about our place in the universe.
