In short
On December 11, 1972, astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt landed the lunar module on the Moon's surface in the Taurus Littrow valley, marking the sixth and final crewed Moon landing of the Apollo program. This mission demonstrated that sustained lunar exploration was feasible, with the astronauts spending a record 75 hours on the surface and collecting 243 pounds of lunar samples. Apollo 17 represented the peak of human spaceflight capability in the 20th century and ended a four-decade human presence on another world.
How it unfolded.
The five-minute version
What actually happened.
A Moon landing or lunar landing is the arrival of a crewed or robotic spacecraft on the Moon. The first human-made object to touch the Moon was Luna 2 in 1959, and the first crewed mission to land on the Moon was Apollo 11 in 1969.
As it was happening
13 voices, 13 days.
One beat at a time. Click any dot on the timeline to jump, press play for autoplay, or use the arrow keys to step.
Apollo 17 launch
Saturn V rocket carrying the Apollo 17 crew lifts off from Kennedy Space Center. The mission is the 10th crewed Apollo flight and the third crewed lunar landing mission.
Voices from this moment (2)
CBS Evening News broadcast, December 7-19, 1972
Dec 7
“We are witnessing the last time men will walk on the Moon…”
Apollo 17 launch
Dec 7
“Saturn V rocket carrying the Apollo 17 crew lifts off from…”
As it was happening
13 voices, 13 days.
Day 0 · December 7, 1972
Apollo 17 launch
Saturn V rocket carrying the Apollo 17 crew lifts off from Kennedy Space Center. The mission is the 10th crewed Apollo flight and the third crewed lunar landing mission.
“We are witnessing the last time men will walk on the Moon…”
- CBS Evening News broadcast, December 7-19, 1972, Dec 7
“Saturn V rocket carrying the Apollo 17 crew lifts off from…”
- Apollo 17 launch, Dec 7
Day 3 · December 10, 1972
Lunar orbit insertion
Apollo 17 enters lunar orbit after a 3-day transit. The crew prepares for descent to the Taurus Littrow valley, a site selected for its geological diversity and proximity to highlands and lowlands.
“Apollo 17 enters lunar orbit after a 3-day transit.”
- Lunar orbit insertion, Dec 10
Day 4 · December 11, 1972
Lunar module landing
Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt land the lunar module in the Taurus Littrow valley. Ronald Evans remains in lunar orbit aboard the command module. Cernan and Schmitt become the last humans to set foot on the Moon for decades.
Day 4 · December 11, 1972
First moonwalk begins
Cernan and Schmitt exit the lunar module for the first of three planned extravehicular activities. They deploy the lunar roving vehicle and begin collecting samples from the valley floor.
“Apollo 17 represents the culmination of a decade of human…”
- NASA press statement, December 1972, Dec 11
“Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt land the lunar module in…”
- Lunar module landing, Dec 11
“Cernan and Schmitt exit the lunar module for the first of…”
- First moonwalk begins, Dec 11
Day 5 · December 12, 1972
Second moonwalk
The astronauts continue exploration of Taurus Littrow, traveling to North Massif and collecting samples from ancient volcanic materials. The rover travels extensively across the lunar surface.
“The astronauts continue exploration of Taurus Littrow,…”
- Second moonwalk, Dec 12
Day 6 · December 13, 1972
Third and final moonwalk
Cernan and Schmitt conduct their final extravehicular activity, collecting samples and preparing the lunar module for departure. The total surface time exceeds 75 hours, a record for crewed lunar missions.
“Cernan and Schmitt conduct their final extravehicular…”
- Third and final moonwalk, Dec 13
Day 7 · December 14, 1972
Ascent from the Moon
The lunar module ascends from the surface and docks with the command module in lunar orbit. Cernan and Schmitt rejoin Evans for the journey back to Earth.
“As I leave the Moon, I'm leaving it the way we found it.”
- Lunar surface transmission, December 14, 1972, Dec 14
“The Americans have demonstrated impressive capability.”
- Synthesized from period accounts - Pravda and TASS statements, December 1972, Dec 15
“The lunar module ascends from the surface and docks with…”
- Ascent from the Moon, Dec 14
Day 12 · December 19, 1972
Splashdown in the Pacific
Apollo 17 splashes down in the Pacific Ocean near Samoa, bringing the crew and 243 pounds of lunar samples safely back to Earth. The mission concludes the Apollo lunar program.
“Apollo 17 closes one chapter in space exploration.”
- NASA Administrator testimony to Congress, December 1972, Dec 20
“Apollo 17 splashes down in the Pacific Ocean near Samoa,…”
- Splashdown in the Pacific, Dec 19
The numbers.
7 numbers that anchor the scale.
By the numbers
The countable parts.
Lunar surface duration
0 hours
Moonwalks completed
0 extravehicular activities
Samples collected
0 pounds (110 kilograms)
Distance traveled on lunar surface
0 miles (35 kilometers) with rover
Crew members
0 (Cernan, Schmitt, Evans)
Mission duration
0 days
Years until next crewed lunar landing
0+ years (as of 2024)
Captured in time.
Captured before it changed
The web as it looked, the day it happened.
Wayback Machine snapshots of the pages people actually loaded that day. Click any card to open the archive at full size.
Sources & citations.
Sources
Where this came from.
Every claim on this page traces to a public, license-clean source. We don't asterisk well.
Wikipedia
1 source- 1.Moon landing
en.wikipedia.org