Visit by Dr. Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut
Visit by Dr. Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut
Visit by Dr. Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut
Visit by Dr. Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut
Visit by Dr. Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut
Visit by Dr. Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut
Visit by Dr. Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut
Visit by Dr. Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut
Visit by Dr. Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut
Visit by Dr. Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut
Visit by Dr. Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut
Visit by Dr. Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut
Visit by Dr. Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut
Visit by Dr. Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut
Visit by Dr. Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut
Visit by Dr. Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut
Visit by Dr. Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut
Visit by Dr. Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut
Visit by Dr. Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut
Visit by Dr. Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut
Visit by Dr. Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut
Visit by Dr. Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut
Visit by Dr. Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut
Visit by Dr. Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut
Visit by Dr. Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut
Visit by Dr. Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut
Visit by Dr. Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut
Visit by Dr. Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 Astronaut
S61-03513 (1961) --- Mercury astronaut M. Scott Carpenter, prime pilot for the Mercury-Atlas 7 (MA-7) spaceflight, and Crew Equipment Specialist Joe Schmitt are pictured during a suiting exercise. Schmitt is seen lacing up Carpenter's boots. Photo credit: NASA
Astronaut Scott Carpenter and technician Joe Schmitt during suiting exercise
Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt and his wife, Teresa, toured the Orion Stage Adapter while at Marshall and signed it before its flight on Exploration Mission-1 in late 2019
2017 "Mission Success is in Our Hands" program with Apollo 17 as
AS17-140-21496 (13 Dec. 1972) --- Scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt is photographed standing next to a huge, split boulder during the third Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site on the moon. Schmitt is the Apollo 17 lunar module pilot. This picture was taken by astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, commander. While Cernan and Schmitt descended in the Lunar Module (LM) "Challenger" to explore the moon, astronaut Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot, remained with the Apollo 17 Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.
Astronaut Harrison Schmitt standing next to boulder during third EVA
AS17-146-22294 (13 Dec. 1972) --- Scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt is photographed working beside a huge boulder at Station 6 (base of North Massif) during the third Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. The front portion of the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) is visible on the left. This picture was taken by astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, Apollo 17 commander. Schmitt is the lunar module pilot. While astronauts Cernan and Schmitt descended in the Lunar Module (LM) "Challenger" to explore the moon, astronaut Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot, remained with the Apollo 17 Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.
Astronaut Harrison Schmitt standing next to boulder during third EVA
Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt is seen in a video during an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 17 mission, Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022, at the National Academies of Science in Washington. The three-astronaut crew of Apollo 17 -  commander Eugene Cernan, lunar module pilot Harrison Schmitt, and command module pilot Ronald Evans, embarked on the last mission of the Apollo program to land humans on the Moon in December of 1972. Cernan and Schmitt spent three days on the lunar surface collecting samples and performing scientific experiments before lifting off from the Taurus-Littrow Valley on December 14, 1972.  Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Apollo 17 50th Anniversary Celebration
AS17-163-24148 (7-19 Dec. 1972) --- Astronaut Eugene A. Cernan (left) and scientist-astronaut Harrison H. "Jack" Schmitt are photographed by the third crew man aboard the Apollo 17 spacecraft during the final lunar landing mission in NASA's Apollo program. Astronaut Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot, took this picture. Cernan was the mission commander. Schmitt served as the lunar module pilot.
Candid photo of Astronauts Cernan and Schmitt aboard Apollo 17 spacecraft
AS17-134-20454 (13 Dec. 1972) --- Scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt is photographed seated in the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) at Station 9 (Van Serg Crater) during the third Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. This photograph was taken by astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, commander. Schmitt, lunar module pilot, and Cernan explored the moon while astronaut Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules in lunar orbit.
Astronaut Harrison Schmitt seated in Lunar Roving Vehicle during EVA-3
S61-03522 (1961) --- Mercury astronaut M. Scott Carpenter, prime pilot for the Mercury-Atlas 7 (MA-7) spaceflight, and Crew Equipment Specialist Joe Schmitt are pictured during a suiting exercise. Schmidt is seen checking the gloves on Carpenter's pressure suit. Photo credit: NASA
Suit Check - Astronaut Carpenter - Joe Schmitt
Apollo 17 lunar module pilot Harrison Schmitt, left, shared his experiences as an astronaut and lunar geologist during a visit to Marshall Dec. 7, as part of the Shared Experiences Forum. During an interactive Q&A moderated by Marshall Associate Director Jonathan Pettus, right, Schmitt spoke about launching on the Saturn V rocket, exploring the Moon and looking back at the Earth. The day of his visit was the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 17 launch.
2017 "Mission Success is in Our Hands" program with Apollo 17 as
In this Apollo 17 onboard photo, Lunar Module pilot Harrison H. Schmitt collects rock samples from a huge boulder near the Valley of Tourus-Littrow on the lunar surface. The seventh and last manned lunar landing and return to Earth mission, the Apollo 17, carrying a crew of three astronauts: Schmitt; Mission Commander Eugene A. Cernan; and Command Module pilot Ronald E. Evans, lifted off on December 7, 1972 from the Kennedy Space Flight Center (KSC). Scientific objectives of the Apollo 17 mission included geological surveying and sampling of materials and surface features in a preselected area of the Taurus-Littrow region, deploying and activating surface experiments, and conducting in-flight experiments and photographic tasks during lunar orbit and transearth coast (TEC). These objectives included: Deployed experiments such as the Apollo lunar surface experiment package (ALSEP) with a Heat Flow experiment, Lunar seismic profiling (LSP), Lunar surface gravimeter (LSG), Lunar atmospheric composition experiment (LACE) and Lunar ejecta and meteorites (LEAM). The mission also included Lunar Sampling and Lunar orbital experiments. Biomedical experiments included the Biostack II Experiment and the BIOCORE experiment. The mission marked the longest Apollo mission, 504 hours, and the longest lunar surface stay time, 75 hours, which allowed the astronauts to conduct an extensive geological investigation. They collected 257 pounds (117 kilograms) of lunar samples with the use of the Marshall Space Flight Center designed Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV). The mission ended on December 19, 1972
Saturn Apollo Program
AS17-134-20384 (7-19 Dec. 1972) --- Scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt, lunar module pilot, is photographed next to the deployed United States flag during lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. The highest part of the flag appears to point toward our planet Earth in the distant background. This picture was taken by astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, Apollo 17 commander. While astronauts Cernan and Schmitt descended in the Lunar Module (LM) to explore the moon, astronaut Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.
Astronaut Harrison Schmitt next to deployed U.S. flag on lunar surface
AS17-134-20426 (11 Dec. 1972) --- Scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt collects lunar rake samples at Station 1 during the first Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. This picture was taken by astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, Apollo 17 commander. Schmitt is the lunar module pilot. The Lunar Rake, an Apollo Lunar Geology Hand Tool, is used to collect discrete samples of rocks and rock chips ranging in size from one-half inch (1.3 cm) to one inch (2.5 cm).
Astronaut Harrison Schmitt collects lunar rake samples during EVA
Former Senator and Apollo astronaut Harrison H. "Jack" Schmitt presides over the NASA Advisory Council meeting at the Rayburn House Office Building, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2005, in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
NASA Advisory Council Meeting
Former Senator and Apollo astronaut Harrison H. "Jack" Schmitt presides over the NASA Advisory Council meeting at the Rayburn House Office Building, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2005, in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
NASA Advisory Council Meeting
S73-22871 (13 Dec. 1972) --- Scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt is photographed standing next to a huge, split lunar boulder during the third Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV), which transported Schmitt and Eugene A. Cernan to this extravehicular station from their Lunar Module (LM), is seen in the background. The mosaic is made from two frames from Apollo 17 Hasselblad magazine 140. The two frames were photographed by Cernan.
APOLLO XVII EXTRAVEHICULAR ACTIVITY (EVA) - SCIENTIST-ASTRONAUT HARRISON H. SCHMITT - MOON
AS17-145-22165 (12 Dec. 1972) --- Scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt, lunar module pilot, with his adjustable sampling scoop, heads for a selected rock on the lunar surface to retrieve the sample for study. The action was photographed by Apollo 17 crew commander, astronaut Eugene A. Cernan on the mission's second extravehicular activity (EVA), at Station 5 at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. Cernan used a 70mm Hasselblad camera equipped with a 60mm lens and type SO-368 color film for this photograph. While astronauts Cernan and Schmitt descended in the Lunar Module (LM) "Challenger" to explore the Taurus-Littrow region of the moon, astronaut Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "America" in lunar orbit.
Astronaut Harrison Schmitt retrieving lunar samples during EVA
AS17-134-20425 (11 Dec. 1972) --- Scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt, lunar module pilot, collects lunar rake samples at Station 1 during the first Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. This picture was taken by astronaut Eugene Cernan, commander. The lunar rake, an Apollo lunar geology hand tool, is used to collect discrete samples of rocks and rock chips ranging in size from one-half inch (1.3 centimeter) to one inch (2.5 centimeter).
Astronaut Harrison Schmitt collects lunar rake samples during EVA
AS17-134-20530 (11 Dec. 1972) --- Astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt, lunar module pilot, displays several days of growth on his beard aboard the Lunar Module (LM) prior to its liftoff from the moon's surface. The photograph was taken by astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, mission commander. The two later re-joined astronaut Ronald E. Evans, who was orbiting the moon in the Apollo 17 Command and Service Modules (CSM).
Astronaut Harrison Schmitt inside the lunar module on lunar surface after EVA
NASA Administrator Michael Griffin, left, talks with NASA Advisory Council members Gen. Lester L. Lyles, USAF (Ret.), center, and NASA Advisory Council chairman, former Senator and Apollo astronaut Harrison H. "Jack" Schmitt at the Rayburn House Office Building, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2005, in Washington.  Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
NASA Advisory Council Meeting
Former astronaut Harrison Schmitt places a rose next to the urn containing the ashes of former astronaut Alan Bean, Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018 at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. Selected as an astronaut in 1963, Bean flew in space twice, becoming the fourth human to walk on the Moon on Nov. 19, 1969 and spent 59 days in space as commander of the second Skylab mission in 1973. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Alan Bean Interment
AS17-145-22157 (12 Dec. 1972) --- Scientist-astronaut Harrison Schmitt, Apollo 17 lunar module pilot, uses an adjustable sampling scoop to retrieve lunar samples during the second Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA), at Station 5 at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. A gnomon is atop the large rock in the foreground. The gnomon is a stadia rod mounted on a tripod, and serves as an indicator of the gravitational vector and provides accurate vertical reference and calibrated length for determining size and position of objects in near-field photographs. The color scale of blue, orange and green is used to accurately determine color for photography. The rod of it is 18 inches long. The scoop Dr. Schmitt is using is 11 3/4 inches long and is attached to a tool extension which adds a potential 30 inches of length to the scoop. The pan portion, obscured in this view, has a flat bottom, flanged on both sides with a partial cover on the top. It is used to retrieve sand, dust and lunar samples too small for the tongs, another geological tool used by the astronauts. The pan and the adjusting mechanism are made of stainless steel and the handle is made of aluminum. Within the foreground of this scene, three lunar samples were taken--numbers 75060, 75075 and 75080. Astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, crew commander, was using a 60mm lens on the 70mm Hasselblad camera and type SO-368 film to take this photograph.
Astronaut Harrison Schmitt uses scoop to retrieve lunar samples during EVA
Principle of Wheatley Education Campus, Amanda Schmitt, provides remarks at a kickoff event for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers NASA and Department of Education partnership, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024 at Wheatley Education Campus in Washington. Students engaged in NASA hands-on activities and an engineering design challenge. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)
NASA and U.S. Department of Education Partnership Kickoff
Vice President Mike Pence, center, views Sample 15014, which was collected during Apollo 15 with NASA's Apollo Sample Curator Ryan Zeigler, left, and Apollo 17 astronaut and geologist Dr. Harrison Schmitt, right, in Lunar Curation Laboratory at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Thursday, Aug. 23, 2018 in Houston, Texas. Sample 15014 is one of nine samples out of the 2,196 collected during the Apollo missions that was sealed inside its container on the Moon and still containes gasses from the Moon.  Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
VP Pence visits Johnson Space Center
Acting director of the Exploration Integration and Science Directorate and Chief Scientist at NASA's Johnson Space Center Dr. Eileen Stansbery, right, is seen with Vice President Mike Pence and Apollo 17 astronaut and geologist Dr. Harrison Schmitt in the Astromaterials Curation Laboratory at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Thursday, Aug. 23, 2018 in Houston, Texas.  Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
VP Pence visits Johnson Space Center
Bob Sieck, left, Apollo-era launch team member and former space shuttle launch director, and Harrison Schmitt, Apollo 17 astronaut and moonwalker, answer questions during the “Apollo Heroes Panel Discussion” in the IMAX Theater at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida on July 16, 2019.  The panel discussion is one of several events at the visitor complex to honor the 50th anniversary of NASA’s Saturn V/Apollo 11 launch and landing on the Moon.
Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Apollo Heroes Panel Discussion
Ivanka Trump, advisor to President Donald Trump, touches a sample from the moon that former astronaut Jack Schmitt, left, collected during the Apollo 17 mission, just after President Trump signed Space Policy Directive - 1, directing NASA to return to the moon, in the Roosevelt room of the White House in Washington, Monday, Dec. 11, 2017. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)
Space Policy Directive - 1 Signing
AS17-146-22296 (13 Dec. 1972) --- Astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt, lunar module pilot, works near the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) during the third Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Taurus-Littrow site on the lunar surface. The front part of the LRV is out of frame at left, but the seats and several geological tools can be seen. The photo was taken by astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, mission commander.
Apollo 17,Lunar Roving Vehicle and Astronaut Harrison Schmitt during EVA 3
S71-52260 (1971) --- Astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt
Portrait - Astronaut Harrison H. Schmidt
Apollo 17 Mission Commander Eugene A Cernan, a Navy Captain, and Lunar Module Pilot Dr. Harrison H. Schmitt, civilian scientist-astronaut, at right, familiarize themselves with equipment used in the Lunar Module in which they will descend to the lunar surface during December.  Cernan and Dr. Schmitt are undergoing pre-launch training in the lunar Module Simulator at the Flight Crew Training Building at the Space Center.  Navy Commander Ronald E. Evans, Command Module Pilot, will accompany Cernan and Schmitt on the mission.
KSC-72PC-0541
Apollo 17 Mission Commander Eugene A. Cernan, left, jokes with crewmates Ronald E. Evans, center, and Harrison H. Schmitt following training exercises today at the Florida Spaceport. Cernan and Schmitt practiced aspects of their upcoming mission in the full-scale Lunar Module Spacecraft mockup, shown in rear.
KSC-72P-0526
S72-55065 (11 Dec. 1972) --- Scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt is seen anchoring the geophone module with a flag during the first Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site, in the black and white reproduction taken from a color television transmission made by the color RCA TV camera mounted on the Lunar Roving Vehicle. Schmitt is the lunar module mounted on the Lunar Roving Vehicle. Schmitt is the lunar module pilot of the Apollo 17 lunar landing mission. Astronaut Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot, remained with the Apollo 17 Command and Service Modules in lunar orbit while astronauts Schmitt and Eugene A. Cernan, commander, descended in the Lunar Module to explore the moon. The geophone module is part of the Lunar Seismic Profiling Experiment (S-203), a component of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP). Other ALSEP components are visible in the picture.
APOLLO 17 - INFLIGHT (1ST EVA)
NASA Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana, far right, serves as moderator for the “Apollo Heroes Panel Discussion” in the IMAX Theater at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida on July 16, 2019. Panelists are, from left, JoAnn Morgan, the only woman on console in the Launch Control Center for Apollo 11 launch countdown activities; Bob Sieck, Apollo-era launch team member and former space shuttle launch director; and Harrison Schmitt, Apollo 17 astronaut and moonwalker. The panel discussion is one of several events at the visitor complex to honor the 50th anniversary of NASA’s Saturn V/Apollo 11 launch and landing on the Moon.
Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Apollo Heroes Panel Discussion
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Senior Scientist Ray Schmitt, left, and NASA Physical Oceanography Program Scientist Eric Lindstrom pose for a photograph in front of the Institution's research vessel Knorr on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Woods Hole, Mass.  Knorr is scheduled to depart on Sept. 6 to take part in the Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS).  The NASA-sponsored expedition will sail to the North Atlantic's saltiest spot to get a detailed, 3-D picture of how salt content fluctuates in the ocean's upper layers and how these variations are related to shifts in rainfall patterns around the planet.  Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study (SPURS)
NASA Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana, far right, serves as moderator for the “Apollo Heroes Panel Discussion” in the IMAX Theater at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida on July 16, 2019. Panelists are, from left, JoAnn Morgan, the only woman on console in the Launch Control Center for Apollo 11 launch countdown activities; Bob Sieck, Apollo-era launch team member and former space shuttle launch director; and Harrison Schmitt, Apollo 17 astronaut and moonwalker. The panel discussion is one of several events at the visitor complex to honor the 50th anniversary of NASA’s Saturn V/Apollo 11 launch and landing on the Moon.
Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Apollo Heroes Panel Discussion
On July 16, 2019, the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch to the Moon, launch team members from Apollo 11 and Artemis 1 mingled in Launch Control Center Firing Room 1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. From left, are John Tribe, Apollo 11 launch team member; Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana; Artemis 1 Launch Director Charlie Blackwell-Thompson; Harrison Schmitt, Apollo 17 astronaut; Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins, with his daughters Ann (left) and Kate (right); and Kelvin Manning, associate director, technical.
Return to the Pad: Astronaut Michael Collins Reflects on Apollo
NASA Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana, far right, serves as moderator for the “Apollo Heroes Panel Discussion” in the IMAX Theater at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida on July 16, 2019. Panelists are, from left, JoAnn Morgan, the only woman on console in the Launch Control Center for Apollo 11 launch countdown activities; Bob Sieck, Apollo-era launch team member and former space shuttle launch director; and Harrison Schmitt, Apollo 17 astronaut and moonwalker. The panel discussion is one of several events at the visitor complex to honor the 50th anniversary of NASA’s Saturn V/Apollo 11 launch and landing on the Moon.
Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Apollo Heroes Panel Discussion
AS17-140-21497 (13 Dec. 1972) --- Scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt is photographed standing next to a huge, split lunar boulder during the third Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. Schmitt is the Apollo 17 lunar module pilot. This picture was taken by astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, commander. While Cernan and Schmitt descended in the Lunar Module (LM) "Challenger" to explore the Taurus-Littrow region of the moon, astronaut Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot, remained with the Apollo 17 Command and Service Modules (CSM) "America" in lunar orbit.
Apollo 17 Mission image - Sta 6,Panoramic,LMP
AS17-134-20473 (13 Dec. 1972) --- Earth appears in the far distant background above the hi-gain antenna of the Lunar Roving Vehicle in this photograph taken by scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt during the third Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. Astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, Apollo 17 commander, stands beside the LRV. Schmitt is the mission's lunar module pilot. While Cernan and Schmitt descended in the lunar module "Challenger" to explore the moon, astronaut Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules in lunar orbit.
View of Earth above the antenna of the lunar roving vehicle during EVA
S72-55066 (11 Dec. 1972) --- Scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt chips samples from a large boulder during the first Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site, in this black and white reproduction taken from a color television transmission made by the color RCA TV camera mounted on the Lunar Roving Vehicle. Schmitt is the lunar module pilot of the Apollo 17 lunar landing mission. Astronaut Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot, remained with the Apollo 17 Command and Service Modules in lunar orbit while astronauts Schmitt and Eugene A. Cernan, commander, descended in the Lunar Module to explore the moon.
APOLLO 17 - INFLIGHT (1ST EVA)
S72-55166 (12 Dec. 1972) --- Scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt loses his balance and heads for a fall during the second Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site, as seen in this black and white reproduction taken from a color television transmission made by the color RCA TV camera mounted on the Lunar Roving Vehicle. Schmitt is lunar module pilot of the Apollo 17 lunar landing mission. Astronaut Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot, remained with Apollo 17 Command and Service Modules in lunar orbit while astronauts Schmitt and Eugene A. Cernan, commander, descended in the Lunar Module "Challenger" to explore the moon.
APOLLO 17 - INFLIGHT (2ND EVA)
Apollo 17 Lunar module Pilot Harrison H. Schmitt shares a moment of relaxation with astronaut Alan Shepard during prelaunch suiting operations.
KSC-72P-0547
S72-48888 (September 1972) --- Astronaut Eugene A. Cernan (left), commander, and scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt, lunar module pilot, simulate collecting lunar samples during extravehicular activity training at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Astronauts Cernan, Schmitt, and Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot, are the prime crewmen of the Apollo 17 lunar landing mission.
APOLLO 17 - CREW TRAINING - EXTRAVEHICULAR (EVA) - KSC
Apollo 17 Lunar Module Pilot Harrison H. Schmitt prepares to fly a T-38 jet aircraft today on a training flight over the Spaceport area to sharpen his flying skills.  Astronaut Schmitt together with Mission Commander Eugene Cernan and Command Module Pilot Ronald E. Evans will be launched to the Moon no earlier than December 6, 1972.
KSC-72PC-0604
Apollo 17 Mission commander Eugene A. Cernan, left, reviews flight plan with crewmates Ronald E. Evans, center, and Harrison H. Schmitt in the astronaut's quarters.  Evans will pilot the command module alone in lunar orbit while Cernan and Lunar Module Pilot Schmitt explore the Taurus-Littrow region of the Moon's surface.  The launch of Apollo 17 is scheduled for December 6, 1972 at 9:53 p.m.
KSC-72PC-0607
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Apollo 17 Backup Mission Commander John W. Young, in dark shirt, speaks to suited prime crew astronauts Harrison H. Schmitt, left, and Eugene A. Cernan, who are seated in the Lunar Rover training vehicle, Cernan and Schmitt will be launched to the Moon with Command Module Pilot Ronald E. Evans no earlier than December 6, 1972.  Photo credit: NASA
KSC-72PC-0499
Dr. Harrison H. Schmitt, civilian scientist-astronaut, who will pilot the Lunar Module of Apollo 17 to the Moon’s Surface in December, preps for his task by undergoing training in the Lunar Module Simulator at the Flight Crew Training Building at Kennedy Space Center.  Dr. Schmitt, accompanied by Commander Eugene A. Cernan and Ronald E. Evans, Command Module Pilot, will lift-off from the Center no earlier than December 6.
KSC-72PC-0539
S72-48887 (September 1972) --- Astronaut Eugene A. Cernan (right), commander, and scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt, lunar module pilot, work at the aft end of a Lunar Roving Vehicle trainer during lunar surface extravehicular activity simulation training at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida. Astronauts Cernan, Schmitt, and Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot, are the prime crewmen of the Apollo 17 lunar landing mission. A Lunar Module mock-up can be seen in the background.
S72-48887
S72-48890 (September 1972) --- Scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt, lunar module pilot of the Apollo 17 lunar landing mission, procures a geological hand tool from the tool carrier at the aft end of the Lunar Roving Vehicle during lunar surface extravehicular activity simulation training at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida. Schmitt grasps a scoop with extension handle in his right hand.
APOLLO 17 - CREW TRAINING - EXTRAVEHICULAR ACTIVITY (EVA) - KSC
Apollo 17 astronaut, Harrison Schmitt, right, is interviewed by Kennedy Space Center public affairs officer, Megan Cruz, at the Operations Support Building II prior to the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission with NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Robert Hines, Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti onboard, Wednesday, April 27, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission is the fourth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Lindgren, Hines, Watkins, and Cristoforetti launched at 3:52 a.m. ET from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center to begin a six month mission onboard the orbital outpost. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)
SpaceX Crew-4 Preflight
Apollo 17 astronaut, Harrison Schmitt, right, is interviewed by Kennedy Space Center public affairs officer, Megan Cruz, at the Operations Support Building II prior to the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission with NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Robert Hines, Jessica Watkins, and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti onboard, Wednesday, April 27, 2022, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission is the fourth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Lindgren, Hines, Watkins, and Cristoforetti launched at 3:52 a.m. ET from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center to begin a six month mission onboard the orbital outpost. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)
SpaceX Crew-4 Preflight
AS17-140-21438 (7-19 Dec. 1972) --- This 70mm frame features a close-up view of a large multi-cracked boulder discovered by astronauts Eugene A. Cernan, commander, and Harrison H. (Jack) Schmitt, lunar module pilot, during their visit to extravehicular activity (EVA) Station 6. This boulder, referred to as number two, provided several samples for the crew members' record-setting volume of rock collections. While astronauts Cernan and Schmitt descended in the Lunar Module (LM) "Challenger" to explore the Taurus-Littrow region of the moon, astronaut Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "America" in lunar orbit. Cernan and Schmitt were the last crew members to explore the moon in the Apollo Program.
View of boulder found at Station 6 by Apollo 16 astronauts
The Apollo 17 prime astronaut crew observes pre-launch activity at Complex 39A while participating in Emergency Egress Test. They are, left to right, Ronald E. Evans, Harrison H. Schmitt, and Eugene A. Cernan.
KSC-72PC-0609
Apollo 17 Lunar Module Pilot Harrison H. Schmitt waves to ground crew personnel as he prepares to fly a T-38 jet aircraft today on a training flight over the Spaceport are to sharpen his flying skills.
KSC-72P-0528
Apollo 17 Commander Eugene A. Cernan undergoes spacesuit Checkout prior to launch to the Moon tonight.  In the background are Command Module Pilot Ronald E. Evans and Lunar Module Pilot Harrison H. Schmitt.
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S74-15520 --- Left to right Gene Kranz, Gene Cernan, Karla Garnuch, Harrison Schmitt, George Abbey, and Sigurd A. Sjoberg watching the dedication of the Apollo 17 flag to the Mission Control Center. Photo credit: NASA
APOLLO 17 - FLAG DEDICATION - JSC
NASA astronaut Harrison Schmitt during his visit to the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO)'s Mission Operation Control Center at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.
G-2009-0379-020
Spacelab simulations crew members during medical testing. Photo is of Patricia Cowings being zipped into the one-meter-diameter rescue ball during physical tests. Assisting her is Joe Schmitt, a suit technician.
MEDICAL - SPACELAB (TEST OF SIMULATION)
Astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 Lunar Module Pilot, suits up in the Astronaut Quarters in the Manned Spacecraft Operations Building in preparation for the Countdown Demonstration Test which was successfully completed here today.
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S62-00246 (5 Feb. 1962) --- Astronaut John H. Glenn Jr. is assisted by Joe W. Schmitt as he suits up in practice for the preparation of Mercury-Atlas 6 (MA-6) mission. Photo credit: NASA
Suit
S65-23486 (23 March 1965) --- Astronaut Virgil I. Grissom, command pilot of the Gemini-Titan 3 space flight, is shown in the suiting trailer at Pad 16 going over a checklist with suit technician Joe Schmitt.
GEMINI-TITAN (GT)-3 - CHECK LIST - CAPE
Apollo 17 Astronaut-Scientist Harrison H. Schmitt, right, reviews lunar flight plan with Mission Commander Eugene A. Cernan, left and Command Module Pilot Ronald H. Evans.
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Apollo 17 Astronauts, front to rear, Eugene A. Cernan, Ronald E. Evans and Harrison H. Schmitt walk to the transfer van at start of brief ride to launch pad during countdown Demonstration test activities.
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AS17-146-22367 (7-19 Dec. 1972) --- This is an excellent view of the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) which was used extensively by astronauts Eugene A. Cernan and Harrison H. Schmitt  at the Taurus-Littrow landing site.
View of the Lunar Roving Vehicle in its final parking space
K-10 (red) robot operations tests at Marscape (Ames Mars Yard) with remote operations from Ames Future Flight Centeral (FFC) Simulator, with Melissa Rice and Harrison 'Jack' Schmitt (Apollo 17 Astronaut)
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NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy delivers remarks during an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 17 mission, Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022, at the National Academies of Science in Washington. The three-astronaut crew of Apollo 17 -  commander Eugene Cernan, lunar module pilot Harrison Schmitt, and command module pilot Ronald Evans, embarked on the last mission of the Apollo program to land humans on the Moon in December of 1972. Cernan and Schmitt spent three days on the lunar surface collecting samples and performing scientific experiments before lifting off from the Taurus-Littrow Valley on December 14, 1972.  Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Apollo 17 50th Anniversary Celebration
NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy delivers remarks during an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 17 mission, Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022, at the National Academies of Science in Washington. The three-astronaut crew of Apollo 17 -  commander Eugene Cernan, lunar module pilot Harrison Schmitt, and command module pilot Ronald Evans, embarked on the last mission of the Apollo program to land humans on the Moon in December of 1972. Cernan and Schmitt spent three days on the lunar surface collecting samples and performing scientific experiments before lifting off from the Taurus-Littrow Valley on December 14, 1972.  Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Apollo 17 50th Anniversary Celebration
Teasel Muir-Harmony, curator of the Apollo collection at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum speaks during an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 17 mission, Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022, at the National Academies of Science in Washington. The three-astronaut crew of Apollo 17 -  commander Eugene Cernan, lunar module pilot Harrison Schmitt, and command module pilot Ronald Evans, embarked on the last mission of the Apollo program to land humans on the Moon in December of 1972. Cernan and Schmitt spent three days on the lunar surface collecting samples and performing scientific experiments before lifting off from the Taurus-Littrow Valley on December 14, 1972.  Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Apollo 17 50th Anniversary Celebration
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson delivers remarks during an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 17 mission, Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022, at the National Academies of Science in Washington. The three-astronaut crew of Apollo 17 -  commander Eugene Cernan, lunar module pilot Harrison Schmitt, and command module pilot Ronald Evans, embarked on the last mission of the Apollo program to land humans on the Moon in December of 1972. Cernan and Schmitt spent three days on the lunar surface collecting samples and performing scientific experiments before lifting off from the Taurus-Littrow Valley on December 14, 1972.  Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Apollo 17 50th Anniversary Celebration
AS17-162-24053 (7-19 Dec. 1972) --- Scientist-astronaut Harrison H. "Jack" Schmitt, lunar module pilot, took this photograph of his two fellow crew men under zero-gravity conditions aboard the Apollo 17 spacecraft during the final lunar landing mission in NASA's Apollo program. That is astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, commander, who is seemingly "right side up." Astronaut Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot, appears to be "upside down." While astronauts Cernan and Schmitt descended in the Lunar Module (LM) "Challenger" to explore the Taurus-Littrow region of the moon, astronaut Evans remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "America" in lunar orbit.
Astronauts Evans and Cernan aboard the Apollo 17 spacecraft
AS17-145-22273 (7-19 Dec. 1972) --- In this view, taken from the Lunar Module (LM), the Command and Service Module (CSM) are seen preparing to rendezvous with the LM. Note the reflection of the lunar surface on the CSM. The CSM, is piloted by Ronald E. Evans; while astronauts Eugene A. Cernan, commander; and Harrison W. Schmitt, lunar module pilot, are onboard the LM, following their extravehicular activities (EVA) on the moon's surface. While astronauts Cernan and Schmitt descended in the LM "Challenger" to explore the Taurus-Littrow region of the moon, astronaut Evans remained with the CSM "America" in lunar orbit.
Apollo 17 Command/Service modules photographed from lunar module in orbit
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson delivers remarks during an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 17 mission, Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022, at the National Academies of Science in Washington. The three-astronaut crew of Apollo 17 -  commander Eugene Cernan, lunar module pilot Harrison Schmitt, and command module pilot Ronald Evans, embarked on the last mission of the Apollo program to land humans on the Moon in December of 1972. Cernan and Schmitt spent three days on the lunar surface collecting samples and performing scientific experiments before lifting off from the Taurus-Littrow Valley on December 14, 1972.  Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Apollo 17 50th Anniversary Celebration
Teasel Muir-Harmony, curator of the Apollo collection at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, speaks during an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 17 mission, Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022, at the National Academies of Science in Washington. The three-astronaut crew of Apollo 17 -  commander Eugene Cernan, lunar module pilot Harrison Schmitt, and command module pilot Ronald Evans, embarked on the last mission of the Apollo program to land humans on the Moon in December of 1972. Cernan and Schmitt spent three days on the lunar surface collecting samples and performing scientific experiments before lifting off from the Taurus-Littrow Valley on December 14, 1972.  Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Apollo 17 50th Anniversary Celebration
AS17-140-21388 (7-19 Dec. 1972) --- Astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, mission commander, walks toward the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) during extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site of NASA's sixth and final Apollo lunar landing mission. The photograph was taken by astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt, lunar module pilot. While astronauts Cernan and Schmitt descended in the Lunar Module (LM) "Challenger" to explore the Taurus-Littrow region of the moon, astronaut Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "America" in lunar orbit.
Astronaut Eugene Cernan walks toward LRV during EVA
AS17-137-20992 (12 Dec. 1972) --- A view looking into Shorty Crater, taken at Station 4, showing the orange soil. Astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt found the orange soil on the moon during the second Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. While astronauts Eugene A. Cernan, commander, and Schmitt, lunar module pilot, descended in the Lunar Module (LM) "Challenger" to explore the Taurus-Littrow region of the moon, astronaut Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "America" in lunar orbit.
Wide-angle view of Station 4 during Apollo 17 second EVA
Teasel Muir-Harmony, curator of the Apollo collection at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, speaks during an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 17 mission, Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022, at the National Academies of Science in Washington. The three-astronaut crew of Apollo 17 -  commander Eugene Cernan, lunar module pilot Harrison Schmitt, and command module pilot Ronald Evans, embarked on the last mission of the Apollo program to land humans on the Moon in December of 1972. Cernan and Schmitt spent three days on the lunar surface collecting samples and performing scientific experiments before lifting off from the Taurus-Littrow Valley on December 14, 1972.  Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Apollo 17 50th Anniversary Celebration
AS17-134-20386 (7-19 Dec. 1972) --- Astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, Apollo 17 commander, is photographed next to the deployed United States flag during lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. The highest part of the flag appears to point toward our planet Earth in the distant background. This picture was taken by scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt, lunar module pilot. While astronauts Cernan and Schmitt descended in the Lunar Module (LM) to explore the moon, astronaut Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.
Apollo 17 Mission image - station Lunar Module (LM),Flag,CDR,LRV
Robert Lightfoot, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Space, speaks during an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 17 mission, Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022, at the National Academies of Science in Washington. The three-astronaut crew of Apollo 17 -  commander Eugene Cernan, lunar module pilot Harrison Schmitt, and command module pilot Ronald Evans, embarked on the last mission of the Apollo program to land humans on the Moon in December of 1972. Cernan and Schmitt spent three days on the lunar surface collecting samples and performing scientific experiments before lifting off from the Taurus-Littrow Valley on December 14, 1972.  Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Apollo 17 50th Anniversary Celebration
NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy delivers remarks during an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 17 mission, Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022, at the National Academies of Science in Washington. The three-astronaut crew of Apollo 17 -  commander Eugene Cernan, lunar module pilot Harrison Schmitt, and command module pilot Ronald Evans, embarked on the last mission of the Apollo program to land humans on the Moon in December of 1972. Cernan and Schmitt spent three days on the lunar surface collecting samples and performing scientific experiments before lifting off from the Taurus-Littrow Valley on December 14, 1972.  Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Apollo 17 50th Anniversary Celebration
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson delivers remarks during an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 17 mission, Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022, at the National Academies of Science in Washington. The three-astronaut crew of Apollo 17 -  commander Eugene Cernan, lunar module pilot Harrison Schmitt, and command module pilot Ronald Evans, embarked on the last mission of the Apollo program to land humans on the Moon in December of 1972. Cernan and Schmitt spent three days on the lunar surface collecting samples and performing scientific experiments before lifting off from the Taurus-Littrow Valley on December 14, 1972.  Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Apollo 17 50th Anniversary Celebration
AS17-146-22351 (7-19 Dec. 1972) --- This view, photographed by astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, shows a large boulder which was discovered by astronauts Cernan and Harrison H. Schmitt during one of their space walks. The astronauts later pointed out light clasts on the boulder. South Massif is in the background. Tracks left by the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) can be seen near foreground. While astronauts Cernan, commander, and Schmitt, lunar module pilot, descended in the Lunar Module (LM) "Challenger" to explore the Taurus-Littrow region of the moon, astronaut Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "America" in lunar orbit.
Apollo 17, Station 7 Panarama
Teasel Muir-Harmony, curator of the Apollo collection at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, speaks during an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 17 mission, Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022, at the National Academies of Science in Washington. The three-astronaut crew of Apollo 17 -  commander Eugene Cernan, lunar module pilot Harrison Schmitt, and command module pilot Ronald Evans, embarked on the last mission of the Apollo program to land humans on the Moon in December of 1972. Cernan and Schmitt spent three days on the lunar surface collecting samples and performing scientific experiments before lifting off from the Taurus-Littrow Valley on December 14, 1972.  Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)
Apollo 17 50th Anniversary Celebration
AS17-145-22196 (7-19 Dec. 1972) --- Astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt's discarded Portable Life Support System (PLSS), along with tracks from the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) and boot prints were photographed through the Lunar Module (LM) window late in the mission. While astronauts Eugene A. Cernan, commander, and Schmitt, lunar module pilot, descended in the LM "Challenger" to explore the Taurus-Littrow region of the moon, astronaut Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "America" in lunar orbit.
Apollo 17, Panorama of the moon from Lunar Module
S72-55168 (12 Dec. 1972) --- Astronaut Eugene A. Cernan (on left) and scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt walk through a field of small boulders during the second Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site, as seen in this black and white reproduction taken from a color television transmission made by the color RCA TV camera mounted on the Lunar Roving Vehicle. Cernan is the Apollo 17 commander; and Schmitt is the lunar module pilot. Astronaut Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules in lunar orbit. (Their backs are toward the camera)
APOLLO 17 - INFLIGHT (2ND EVA)
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Apollo 17 Lunar Module Pilot Harrison H. Schmitt, left, scoops soil samples into a specimen bag held by Mission Commander Eugene A. Cernan during a mock lunar surface training exercise conducted at the Kennedy Space Center.  Schmitt and Cernan are scheduled to remain on the lunar surface 75 hours, leaving their lunar module spacecraft three times to explore the Moon’s Taurus-Littrow region.  Launch of the Apollo Saturn V spacecraft vehicle, also with Astronaut Command Module Pilot Ronald E. Evans onboard, is scheduled no earlier than December 6, 1972.  Photo credit: NASA
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AS17-134-20382 (13 Dec. 1972) --- Astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 lunar module pilot, stands near the deployed United States flag on the lunar surface during extravehicular activity (EVA) of NASA's final lunar landing mission in the Apollo series. The Lunar Module (LM) is at left background and the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) at right background (partially obscured). The photo was made by astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, commander. While astronauts Cernan and Schmitt descended in the LM "Challenger" to explore the Taurus-Littrow region of the moon, astronaut Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "America" in lunar orbit.
Apollo 17 Mission image - station Lunar Module (LM),LM,LRV,Flag, LMP
S72-56362 (27 Dec. 1972) --- Scientist-astronaut Harrison H. "Jack" Schmitt (facing camera), Apollo 17 lunar module pilot, was one of the first to look at the sample of "orange" soil which was brought back from the Taurus-Littrow landing site by the Apollo 17 crewmen. Schmitt discovered the material at Shorty Crater during the second Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA). The "orange" sample, which was opened Wednesday, Dec. 27, 1972, is in the bag on a weighing platform in the sealed nitrogen cabinet in the upstairs processing line in the Lunar Receiving Laboratory at the Manned Spacecraft Center. Just before, the sample was removed from one of the bolt-top cans visible to the left in the cabinet. The first reaction of Schmitt was "It doesn't look the same." Most of the geologists and staff viewing the sample agreed that it was more tan and brown than orange. Closer comparison with color charts showed that the sample had a definite orange cast, according the MSC geology branch Chief William Phinney. After closer investigation and sieving, it was discovered that the orange color was caused by very fine spheres and fragments of orange glass in the midst of darker colored, larger grain material. Earlier in the day the "orange" soil was taken from the Apollo Lunar Sample Return Container No. 2 and placed in the bolt-top can (as was all the material in the ALSRC "rock box").
Lunar Samples - Apollo 17