Apollo 17: The Final and Most Scientifically Productive Moon Mission

Apollo 17 (December 7–19, 1972) was the sixth and final crewed lunar landing — the last time humans walked on the Moon. Commander Eugene Cernan, Command Module Pilot Ronald Evans, and Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt flew to the Taurus-Littrow valley, chosen for its combination of ancient highland massifs and younger volcanic deposits. ## The Scientist on the Moon Schmitt was a professional geologist — the only trained scientist to walk on the lunar surface. His selection over pilot Joe Engle came under pressure from the scientific community to send a researcher before the program ended. The decision paid off: Schmitt's trained eye spotted the famous orange soil at Shorty Crater, later identified as 3.64-billion-year-old volcanic glass beads from ancient fire-fountain eruptions. ## Records Set Apollo 17 was the most productive mission by every metric: - **75 hours** on the lunar surface (longest stay) - **Three EVAs** totaling 22 hours 4 minutes - **35.9 km** driven on the Lunar Roving Vehicle: The Electric Moon Buggy That Transformed Apollo Exploration - **110.5 kg** of samples collected (most of any mission) ## The Last Footprints Cernan stepped off the lunar surface at 05:40 UTC on December 14, 1972. His parting words — "we leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return" — reflected the mission's bittersweet reality. Budget pressure, declining public interest, and the program's political objectives having been met meant Apollo 18, 19, and 20 were already cancelled. No human has returned since. **See also:** The Apollo Program: Humanity's First Visits to the Moon (1961-1972) · Apollo 11 Was the Worst Moon Mission: Why Every Subsequent Mission Was Better