Apollo 17 becomes the sixth and final Apollo mission to land on the Moon.

Apollo 17 wrapped up NASA’s Apollo program in December 1972, marking the last time humans traveled to the Moon. The mission launched on December 7 from Kennedy Space Center with a crew of three: Commander Eugene Cernan, Command Module Pilot Ron Evans, and Lunar Module Pilot Harrison “Jack” Schmitt—the first professional geologist to walk on the lunar surface. Their Saturn V rocket lit up the night sky, making Apollo 17 the only nighttime launch of the program and one of its most visually striking moments.

After reaching lunar orbit, Cernan and Schmitt descended to the surface in the lunar module Challenger, landing in the Taurus–Littrow valley. This location was chosen because it offered a rare combination of mountainous highlands and dark volcanic material, giving scientists a chance to study a diverse span of lunar history. Over the course of three moonwalks totaling more than 22 hours, the pair explored the valley, deployed scientific instruments, and collected a large array of rock and soil samples.

One of the mission’s standout accomplishments was the collection of the famous “orange soil,” a discovery Schmitt immediately recognized as volcanic glass beads—evidence of ancient explosive volcanic activity on the Moon. Apollo 17 brought back about 110 kg of samples, the largest haul of any Apollo mission, providing invaluable clues about the Moon’s geologic evolution. Their rover also allowed them to cover more ground than earlier missions, reaching distant boulders and crater rims that would have otherwise been inaccessible.

Cernan, as mission commander, became the last human to walk on the lunar surface, leaving behind a final set of footprints and a message of peace before climbing back into the lunar module. Apollo 17 returned to Earth on December 19, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean. The mission remains a high point in human exploration—scientifically rich, technically ambitious, and still the closing chapter of humanity’s direct presence on another world.