Apollo 17 — the final crewed lunar landing

Crew and spacecraft

The three-man crew consisted of commander Eugene Cernan, lunar module pilot Harrison Schmitt and command module pilot Ronald Evans. Schmitt was the first professionally trained geologist to walk on the Moon, bringing a new scientific emphasis to surface work. Mission hardware included a Saturn V launch vehicle, a command and service module (CSM) and a lunar module (LM); further technical information is available through the mission page at mission summaries.

• Eugene Cernan — commander and last person to re-enter the lunar module before ascent (biography).
• Harrison Schmitt — lunar geologist and lunar module pilot (profile).
• Ronald Evans — remained in lunar orbit aboard the CSM (profile).

Timeline and mission highlights

Launched on 7 December 1972, the mission reached lunar orbit and landed in the Taurus–Littrow valley. Cernan and Schmitt performed multiple extravehicular activities (EVAs) on the surface while Evans conducted orbital experiments and photography. The surface work used a lunar roving vehicle to extend traverse range, enabling more diverse sample collection and geological mapping. For orbital science and mission operations details see orbital reports.

Scientific results and discoveries

Apollo 17 returned a substantial collection of lunar rock and soil that broadened understanding of lunar volcanism and the Moon's composition. The crew documented varied terrain in Taurus–Littrow and recovered samples that include fine volcanic glass and other materials that informed models of lunar history. The presence of a trained geologist on the surface improved sampling strategy and field interpretation, leaving a lasting scientific legacy.

Significance and legacy

Apollo 17 closed the era of routine human exploration of the Moon and remains the most recent crewed lunar mission. Its combination of extended surface exploration, detailed geological work and orbital science produced some of the program's most scientifically valuable returns. The mission continues to be referenced in planning for future lunar exploration and in discussions about human return to the Moon; further reading can be found at program overview, mission summary and crew biographies (Cernan, Schmitt, Evans), and in orbital documentation (orbital archive).