Astronauts land on the Moon in the Apollo 14 mission.

Apollo 14, the eighth crewed mission of NASA’s Apollo program, launched on January 31, 1971, and marked the third successful Moon landing. Commanded by Alan Shepard, with Stuart Roosa as the Command Module Pilot and Edgar Mitchell as the Lunar Module Pilot, the mission aimed to explore the Fra Mauro highlands, a region originally targeted by the ill-fated Apollo 13. After overcoming docking difficulties between the Command and Lunar Modules, Shepard and Mitchell spent over 33 hours on the lunar surface, conducting two moonwalks and collecting 42.8 kg (94 lbs) of lunar samples. Shepard famously hit two golf balls on the Moon, demonstrating the unique physics of low-gravity sports. Meanwhile, Roosa conducted scientific experiments from lunar orbit and carried hundreds of tree seeds that would later become “Moon Trees” back on Earth. Apollo 14 successfully returned on February 9, 1971, proving that precise landings on the Moon were possible and paving the way for more ambitious future missions.