The Last Moonwalk

In this episode of Dave Does History, we explore the final moonwalk of the Apollo 17 mission, the last crewed mission to the Moon, launched on December 7, 1972. After over 22 hours of scientific exploration, astronaut Eugene Cernan, the last man to walk on the Moon, made his poignant final steps as the crew completed their final EVA. We’ll uncover the significance of Apollo 17’s discoveries, including Harrison Schmitt’s famous orange soil find, and the challenges faced by the astronauts as they braved the lunar surface.

As we reflect on this pivotal moment in history, we’ll also dive into the cultural shifts and political factors that led to the end of the Apollo missions and explore what’s next for lunar exploration.

Tune in for a gripping, in-depth look at the historic conclusion of the Apollo program.

Apollo 17, launched on December 7, 1972, was not only the final mission of NASA’s Apollo program but also the last time humans would walk on the Moon for more than four decades. As the Saturn V rocket thundered into the night sky over Florida’s Kennedy Space Center, it marked both an incredible achievement and the closing of an era in space exploration. This mission carried with it both the excitement of scientific discovery and the weight of its place in history. For Commander Eugene Cernan, Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt, and Command Module Pilot Ronald Evans, Apollo 17 represented the culmination of their training and their shared mission to push the boundaries of human understanding, setting foot on the Moon one last time.

The mission’s significance wasn’t just due to its place as the last Apollo lunar landing, but also for the wealth of scientific objectives it sought to accomplish. Apollo 17 was the first mission to send a professional geologist to the Moon—Harrison Schmitt, a trained geologist who had been added to the crew as part of NASA’s push to include more scientific expertise in lunar exploration. As Schmitt joined Cernan, the only astronaut to have flown on three space missions, and Evans, a newcomer to space, they faced the monumental task of exploring the Taurus-Littrow valley, a site chosen for its potential to reveal critical geological insights. The valley lay on the edge of the Serenitatis Basin, a region rich in both ancient highlands and volcanic features, and it was here that humanity would complete its final mission to the lunar surface.

The mission was not without its challenges. The launch itself was delayed for over two hours due to an automatic cutoff in the launch sequencer, an anomaly that NASA quickly resolved. Once underway, the spacecraft embarked on a journey into space, headed for the Moon at breakneck speeds. Though the crew was well-prepared, the weight of their mission’s historical significance hovered over them. Apollo 17, while a marvel of human achievement, also symbolized the waning of public interest in lunar exploration, as budget cuts and shifting priorities at NASA meant that no further manned missions to the Moon were on the horizon. This reality made the crew’s work all the more vital, not just for its immediate scientific outcomes, but for the legacy it would leave in the context of human exploration.

The descent to the Moon on December 11, 1972, was a precise and calculated maneuver. As Cernan and Schmitt prepared for landing in the Taurus-Littrow valley, their spacecraft, Challenger, separated from the Command Module, America, which remained in lunar orbit under Evans’ control. The valley, bathed in the light of the Moon’s early morning, greeted them with a breathtaking view of craggy mountains, ancient rock formations, and the promise of scientific discovery. The landing, though slightly off target by about 656 feet, was a success, and the astronauts prepared for their first EVA, stepping out onto the Moon’s surface in what would become the last human footsteps on the lunar soil for the next 50 years.

Their exploration on the first moonwalk was marked by a mix of scientific tasks and sheer wonder. They deployed the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV), setting up the mobile lab that would help them traverse the rocky terrain of the valley. Schmitt, with his geological background, took the lead in conducting surveys and collecting rock samples, while Cernan managed tasks like adjusting the LRV’s antenna and ensuring communications with Earth. The two astronauts worked with a sense of urgency but also awe, knowing that they were making history in ways that would resonate for generations. Their findings, including the discovery of volcanic rock deposits and ancient lunar materials, would later prove invaluable in understanding the Moon’s geological history.

On December 13, Cernan and Schmitt conducted their second EVA, further exploring the terrain and collecting more samples. But it was on December 14—the final EVA of the Apollo program—that the mission reached its climax. After over 22 hours of exploration, sampling, and scientific experimentation, Cernan and Schmitt completed their final tasks on the Moon. Schmitt, during this last walk, made one of the most famous discoveries of the mission—the orange soil near Shorty Crater. Initially, they thought this might be a sign of recent volcanic activity, but later analysis revealed that it was volcanic in origin, formed billions of years ago. Schmitt’s discovery would go down in history as one of the most exciting and important finds of Apollo 17, offering new insights into the Moon’s volcanic past.

The final EVA was not without its challenges, however. The astronauts were exhausted after three days of strenuous work under the weight of their bulky spacesuits. The lunar surface, dust-covered and harsh, offered little in the way of comfort. Yet, they pressed on, driven by the knowledge that this would be the last human exploration of the Moon for the foreseeable future. As Cernan and Schmitt made their way back to the Lunar Module, Cernan famously left his final words on the surface of the Moon, speaking into the microphone as he climbed the ladder: “We leave as we came, and, God willing, we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind.” His words would echo through time as humanity’s promise to one day return to the Moon.

The conclusion of Apollo 17’s lunar activities marked the end of the Apollo program and, with it, a temporary end to human lunar exploration. The scientific discoveries made during the mission, including rock and dust samples, data from deployed instruments, and geological insights, helped to solidify humanity’s understanding of the Moon. The mission’s experiments, including the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), continued to transmit data to Earth long after the astronauts had returned home.

In the broader scope of history, Apollo 17’s final EVA was not just the end of a mission, but the closing of a chapter in the exploration of space. It was the culmination of a remarkable decade of achievements in space exploration, made possible by the collective ambition of scientists, engineers, and astronauts. The end of the Apollo program led to a shift in space exploration priorities. In the years following Apollo 17, the focus turned to the development of the Space Shuttle and space stations like Skylab, rather than returning to the Moon. The hope of returning to the lunar surface seemed distant, and for decades, the Moon remained an unreachable frontier.

Yet, Apollo 17’s legacy persists. The mission’s scientific findings continue to inform lunar research today, and the astronauts’ experiences serve as an inspiration for future generations of space explorers. As NASA sets its sights on returning to the Moon with the Artemis program, Apollo 17 remains a beacon of what humanity can achieve when it dares to reach beyond the stars. The astronauts of Apollo 17, and particularly Eugene Cernan, the last man to leave his footprints on the Moon, represent the boundless potential of human exploration.

The final EVA on December 14, 1972, not only marked the end of the Apollo missions but also stood as a testament to the indomitable human spirit, the pursuit of knowledge, and the hope for a future where humanity will once again return to the Moon. Apollo 17, and the legacy of its final moonwalk, serves as a reminder of the extraordinary accomplishments possible when we dare to dream and to explore the unknown.