Lunar Exploration Views

Diverse views of the lunar surface from Apollo missions, showcasing craters, lunar modules, astronauts, and the harsh, rocky landscape under a black sky.

Apollo 15 Astronaut Saluting on the Moon With the Lunar Lander Falcon and Rover

This view of the Lunar surface was taken during the Apollo 17 mission. The seventh and last manned lunar landing and return to Earth mission, the Apollo 17, carrying a crew of three astronauts Mission Commander Eugene A. Cernan; Lunar Module pilot Harrison H. Schmitt; 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)

AS12-48-7099 (20 Nov. 1969) --- This unusual view shows two National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Apollo 15 Astronaut Saluting on the Moon With the Lunar Lander Falcon and Rover

(21 April 1972) --- A view of Plum Crater, which was visited by the two moon-exploring crewmen of the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission, on their first extravehicular activity (EVA) traverse, April 21, 1972.

Rear view of an astronaut walking near the lunar rover on the moon, Apollo 16

James Irwin (1930-1991) with the Lunar Roving Vehicle during Apollo 15, 1971.Artist: NASA

AS11-40-5902 (20 July 1969) --- Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot, walks on the surface of the moon near a leg of the Lunar Module during the Apollo 11 extravehicular activity (EVA). Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, Apollo 11 commander, took this photograph with a 70mm lunar surface camera. The astronauts' bootprints are clearly visible in the foreground. While astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin descended in the Lunar Module (LM) Eagle to explore the Sea of Tranquility region of the moon, astronaut Michael Collins, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) Columbia in lunar orbit.

Apollo 12 Astronaut Alan Bean deploys scientific experiments on the lunar surface. Nov. 19, 1969.

AS17-147-22526 (11 Dec. 1972) --- Astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, commander, makes a short checkout of the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) during the early part of the first Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. This view of the stripped down LRV is prior to loading up. Equipment later loaded onto the LRV included the ground-controlled television assembly, the lunar communications relay unit, hi-gain antenna, low-gain antenna, aft tool pallet, lunar tools and scientific gear. This photograph was taken by scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt, lunar module pilot. The mountain in the right background is the east end of South Massif. 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 Command and Service Modules (CSM) America in lunar orbit.

AS15-88-11866 (1 Aug. 1971) --- Astronaut James B. Irwin, lunar module pilot, gives a military salute while standing beside the deployed United States flag during the Apollo 15 lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Hadley-Apennine landing site. The flag was deployed toward the end of EVA-2. The Lunar Module (LM) Falcon is in the center. On the right is the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV). This view is looking almost due south. Hadley Delta in the background rises approximately 4,000 meters (about 13,124 feet) above the plain. The base of the mountain is approximately 5 kilometers (about 3 statute miles) away. This photograph was taken by astronaut David R. Scott, Apollo 15 commander. While astronauts Scott and Irwin descended in the LM to explore the moon, astronaut Alfred M. Worden, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.

Apollo 12 mission deploys Ames developed special Lunar surface Magnetometer to measure magnetic fields on the moon (Tri-axis magnetometer)

AS16-117-18825 (23 April 1972) --- Astronaut John W. Young, Apollo 16 commander, with a sample bag in his left hand, moves toward the bottom part of the gnomon (center) while collecting samples at the North Ray Crater geological site. Note how soiled Young's Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) is during this the third and final Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA). The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) is parked at upper left.

(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.

Lunar Module Eagle's ascent stage in lunar orbit.

The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) was designed to transport astronauts and materials on the Moon. An LRV was used on each of the last three Apollo missions; Apollo 15, Apollo 16, and Apollo 17, in 1971 and 1972, to permit the crew to travel several miles from the lunar landing site. This photograph was taken during the Apollo 16 mission.

A view of the Apollo 11 lunar module Eagle as it returned from the surface of the moon to dock with the command module Columbia. The lunar module ascent stage was about 4 meters across. Command module pilot Michael Collins took this picture just before docking at 21:34:00 UT (5:34 p.m. EDT) 21 July 1969.

Apollo 16 Astronaut salutes the US flag on the Moon. July 21-24, 1971.

AS14-66-9278 (5 Feb. 1971) --- An excellent view of the Apollo 14 Lunar Module (LM) on the moon, as photographed during the first Apollo 14 extravehicular activity (EVA) on the lunar surface. While astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., commander, and Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot, descended in the LM to explore the moon, astronaut Stuart A. Roosa, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.

AS16-118-18964 (16-27 April 1972) --- This lunar farside oblique view from the Apollo 16 spacecraft in lunar orbit shows the Leonov Crater, just to the left and above the principal point of the photograph. Just beyond the horizon lies the Moscow Sea.

AS15-86-11603 (31 July 1971) --- Astronaut James B. Irwin, lunar module pilot, works at the Lunar Roving Vehicle during the first Apollo 15 lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Hadley-Apennine landing site. The shadow of the Lunar Module Falcon is in the foreground. This view is looking northeast, with Mount Hadley in the background. This photograph was taken by astronaut David R. Scott, commander.

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)

JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, HOUSTON, TEXAS - Apollo 11 Lunar Module Pilot Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. deployes the Passive Seismic Experiment Package (PSE) on the Moon's surface near Tranquility Base. The sensitive instrument remained behind on the lunar surface to radio back information concerning moonquakes, landslides and meteorite impacts.

(19 Nov. 1969) --- A close-up view of a lunar mound as photographed during the Apollo 12 extravehicular activity (EVA) on the lunar surface. Astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr., command module pilot, remained with the Apollo 12 Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit while astronauts Charles Conrad Jr., commander, and Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot, descended in the Lunar Module (LM) to explore the moon..

Astronaut Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot for the Apollo 12 lunar landing mission, steps from the ladder of the Lunar Module to join astronaut Charles Conrad Jr., commander, in extravehicular activity on Nov. 19, 1969..

Apollo 12 lunar module Intrepid landing on the Moon's surface. It landed in the Ocean of Storms where the Surveyor 3 probe landed on April 20, 1967. The photo was taken Astronaut Richard Gordon from the orbiting Command Module on Nov. 19, 1969.

(23 April 1972) --- Astronaut John W. Young, commander of the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission, drives the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) to its final parking place near the end of the third Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Descartes landing site.

Moon: July 20, 1969 The United States flag deployed on the surface of the moon during the Apollo 11 lunar landing. In the center background is the black and white lunar surface television camera which televised the Apollo 11 extravehicular activity.

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).

AS16-113-18339 (21 April 1972) --- Astronaut John W. Young, commander of the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission, leaps from the lunar surface as he salutes the United States flag at the Descartes landing site during the first Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA). Astronaut Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot, took this picture. The Lunar Module (LM) Orion is on the left. The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) is parked beside the LM. The object behind Young (in the shade of the LM) is the Far Ultraviolet Camera/Spectrograph (FUC/S). Stone Mountain dominates the background in this lunar scene. While astronauts Young and Duke descended in the LM to explore the Descartes highlands landing site on the moon, astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly II, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) Casper in lunar orbit.

Apollo 15 Lunar Module pilot James B. Irwin loads-up the Rover, Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) with tools and equipment in preparation for the first lunar extravehicular activity (EVA-1) at the Hadley-Apennine landing site. A portion of the Lunar Module (LM) Falcon is on the left.

AS14-66-9306 (5 Feb. 1971) --- A front view of the Apollo 14 Lunar Module (LM), which reflects a circular flare caused by the brilliant sun, as seen by the two moon-exploring crew men of the Apollo 14 lunar landing mission during their first extravehicular activity (EVA). The unusual ball of light was said by the astronauts to have a jewel-like appearance. At the extreme left the lower slope of Cone Crater can be seen. Astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., commander; and Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot; descended in the LM, while astronaut Stuart A. Roosa, command module pilot; remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.

AS14-68-9414 (6 Feb. 1971) --- Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., Apollo 14 commander, stands beside a large boulder on the lunar surface during the mission's second extravehicular activity (EVA), on Feb. 6, 1971. Note the lunar dust clinging to Shepard's space suit. Astronauts Shepard and Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot, explored the lunar surface while astronaut Stuart A. Roosa, command module pilot, orbited the moon in the Command and Service Modules (CSM).

AS14-64-9118 (6 Feb. 1971) --- Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., commander, photographed this overall view of a field of boulders on the flank of Cone Crater, during the second extravehicular activity (EVA), on Feb. 6, 1971. The view is looking south across the lunar valley through which the Apollo 14 moon-explorers flew their Lunar Module (LM) during the final approach to the landing. Astronaut Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot, joined Shepard in exploring the moon, while astronaut Stuart A. Roosa, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.

The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12 launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in whats known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. This is the fifth of 25 images captured by the crew

Apollo Lunar Module Returning from the Moon

(1 Aug. 1971) --- Astronaut James B. Irwin, lunar module pilot, gives a military salute while standing beside the deployed United States flag during the Apollo 15 lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Hadley-Apennine landing site.

Apollo 17 Astronaut, American Flag, and Rover

The Apollo 11 Lunar Module ascent stage, with astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. aboard, is photographed from the Command and Service Modules (CSM) .

April 16-27, 1972 - This lunar farside oblique view from the Apollo 16 spacecraft in lunar-orbit shows the Leonov Crater, just to the left and above the principal point of the photograph. Just beyond the horizon lies the Moscow Sea.

AS16-106-17340 (23 April 1972) --- Astronaut John W. Young, commander of the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission, is photographed collecting lunar samples near North Ray Crater during the third Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Descartes landing site. This picture was taken by astronaut Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot. Young is using the lunar surface rake and a set of tongs. The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) is parked in the field of large boulders in the background. While astronauts Young and Duke descended in the Lunar Module (LM) Orion to explore the moon, astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly II, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.

AS16-107-17473 (22 April 1972) --- The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) appears to be parked in a deep lunar depression, on the slope of Stone Mountain. This photograph of the lunar scene at Station No. 4 was taken during the second Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Descartes landing site. A sample collection bag is in the right foreground. Note field of small boulders at upper right. While astronauts John W. Young, commander, and Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot, descended in the Lunar Module (LM) Orion to explore the moon, astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly II, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.

AS14-64-9181 (5-6 Feb. 1971) --- A view of the lunar terrain at the Apollo 14 Fra Mauro landing site as photographed through the left window of the Lunar Module (LM). Note the clump of lunar soil in the foreground, and a crater in the center on the horizon. While astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., commander; and Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot; descended in the LM to explore the moon, astronaut Stuart A. Roosa, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.

Moon: July 20, 1969 The approach to the Apollo 11 Landing Site 2 in the southweestern Sea of Tranquility as photographed from the Apollo 11 Lunar Module in lunar orbit. Site 2 is located just right of center at the edge of the darkness. The crater Maskelyne is the large one at the lower right.

Apollo 15 Astronaut David Scott, gives a military salute to US flag on the Moon. July 30, 1971.

Astronaut Edwin E Aldrin Jr, Lunar Module (LM) pilot descends from the LM, climbing down the ladder. Lunar horizon visible in background. Image taken at Tranquility Base during the Apollo 11 Mission. Original film magazine was labeled S. Film Type: Ektachrome EF SO168 color film on a 2.7-mil Estar polyester base taken with a 60mm lens. Sun angle is Medium. Tilt direction is Northeast (NE).

AS14-68-9448 (6 Feb. 1971) --- A close-up view of a large multi-colored boulder in the boulder field located on the rim of Cone Crater, as photographed by the moon-exploring crew members of the Apollo 14 lunar landing mission. This view is looking west by southwest. The Lunar Module (LM) can be seen in the background. While astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., commander, and Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot, were exploring the moon, after descending in the LM, astronaut Stuart A. Roosa, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.

(19-20 Nov. 1969) --- A view of the lunar surface in the vicinity of the Apollo 12 lunar landing site, photographed during the extravehicular activity (EVA) of astronauts Charles Conrad Jr., commander, and Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot. Conrad and Bean encountered the odd, anthill-shaped mound during their lunar traverse. The two descended in the Apollo 12 Lunar Module (LM) to explore the moon, while astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr., command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit. .

Astronaut Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot, deploys components of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) during the first Apollo 12 extravehicular activity (EVA) on the moon. The photo was made by astronaut Charles Conrad Jr., commander, using a 70mm handheld Hasselblad camera modified for lunar surface usage..

Apollo 11 - A Bag of Equipment is Left Behind

Beautiful Half-Illuminated Earth Backdrops the Liftoff of the NASA Apollo 11 Lunar Module (Eagle) From the Moons Surface, July 21, 1969 As Seen From the Orbiting NASA Apollo 11 Command and Service Modules (Columbia)

Astronaut standing near a rock on the moon, Apollo 17

Buzz Aldrin with Apollo 11 Lunar Module on the Moon 1969 Neil Armstrong. Buzz Aldrin with Apollo 11 Lunar Module on the Moon. Neil Armstrong (American, Wapakoneta, Ohio 1930-2012 Cincinnati, Ohio). 1969. Chromogenic print. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Photographs

Photo collection Government information service. Space technology. undated. Moon

ASTRONAUT ALAN B. SHEPARD STANDING WITH AMERICAN FLAG ON LUNAR SURFACE

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.

James Irwin (1930-1991) moonwalking during the Apollo 15 mission, 1971. Artist: Unknown

Apollo 12 Astronauts On Moon

This view from the Apollo 11 spacecraft shows the Earth rising above the moon's horizon. The lunar terrain pictured is in the area of Smyth's Sea on the nearside.

Moons Surface, Earthrise. Artist: NASA, American, late 20th century

Astronaut Edwin Aldrin, Jr., Apollo 11 Mission, July 20, 1969

AS15-85-11425 (31 July 1971) --- A view of Hadley Rille, looking northwest, as photographed from near Station No. 2 (St. George Crater) during the first Apollo 15 lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA). This picture shows layering in the rille wall and blocks on the floor of the rille. The feature referred to as the Terrace is visible on the right (east) side of the rille. While astronauts David R. Scott, commander, and James B. Irwin, lunar module pilot, descended in the Lunar Module (LM) Falcon to explore the moon, astronaut Alfred M. Worden, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Module's (CSM) in lunar orbit.

Buzz Aldrin Salutes the Flag During Apollo 11 Mission

(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.

Astronaut in space, illustration.

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.

AS14-64-9135 (6 Feb. 1971) --- Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., commander, took this close-up view of a large boulder, approximately five feet long, during the second extravehicular activity (EVA), on Feb. 6, 1971. Astronauts Shepard and Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot, descended in the Lunar Module (LM) to explore the moon, while astronaut Stuart A. Roosa, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.

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Astronaut Buzz Aldrin on the moon.

Moon: July 20, 1969 A closeup view of an astronaut's footprint in the lunar soil during the Apollo 11 lunar landing.

AS11-40-5878 (20 July 1969) --- A close-up view of an astronaut's bootprint in the lunar soil, photographed with a 70mm lunar surface camera during the Apollo 11 extravehicular activity (EVA) on the moon. While astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander, and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot, descended in the Lunar Module (LM) Eagle to explore the Sea of Tranquility region of the moon, astronaut Michael Collins, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) Columbia in lunar orbit.

AS08-14-2383 (24 Dec. 1968) --- The rising Earth is about five degrees above the lunar horizon in this telephoto view taken from the Apollo 8 spacecraft near 110 degrees east longitude. The horizon, about 570 kilometers (350 statute miles) from the spacecraft, is near the eastern limb of the moon as viewed from Earth. Width of the view at the horizon is about 150 kilometers (95 statute miles). On Earth 240,000 statute miles away the sunset terminator crosses Africa. The crew took the photo around 10 40 a.m. Houston time on the morning of Dec. 24, and that would make it 15 40 GMT on the same day. The South Pole is in the white area near the left end of the terminator. North and South America are under the clouds.

Sitting on the lunar surface, this magnetometer provided new data on the Moons magnetic field. This was one of the instruments used during the Apollo 12 mission. The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12 launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in whats known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned

(7-19 Dec. 1972) --- This is a view of the Eratosthenes Crater, taken looking southward from the Command and Service Module (CSM), being piloted by astronaut Ronald E. Evans. Copernicus is on the horizon.

Photograph of the moon obtained by astronomer Henry at the observatory in Paris, France. Old 19th century engraved illustration from La Nature 1890

An astronaut standing on a barren world with planet rising in background.

Apollo 11 Earth rise over the Moon. Earth on the horizon in the Mare Smythii Region of the Moon. Image 14 of a NASA sequence of 18. July 20, 1969.

Apollo 17 - Red Soil on the Moon

Apollo 17 mission commander Eugene Cernan after his second moonwalk of the mission. Apollo 17 was the final mission of NASA's Apollo program, the enterprise that landed the first humans on the Moon. Launched at 12:33 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on December 7, 1972,

S72-35611 (21 April 1972) --- Astronaut John W. Young, commander of the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission, leaps from the lunar surface as he salutes the U.S. flag, during the first Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA) on the moon, as seen in this reproduction taken from a color television transmission made by the color television camera mounted on the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV). Astronaut Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot, is standing in the background. While astronauts Young and Duke descended in the Apollo 16 Lunar Module (LM) Orion to explore the Descartes highlands landing site on the moon, astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly II, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) Casper in lunar orbit.

S71-16101 (January 1971) --- A Grumman Aerospace Corporation artist's concept of Apollo 14 crewmen, astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., commander, and Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot, as they set out on their first traverse. Shepard is pulling the Modularized Equipment Transporter (MET) which contains cameras, lunar sample bags, tools and other paraphernalia. Shepard has the Laser Ranging Retro-Reflector (LR-3) in his other hand. Mitchell is carrying the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) barbell mode.

AS15-87-11748 (31 July 1971) --- A view of Hadley Delta, looking southeasterly, as photographed from the top hatch of the Apollo 15 Lunar Module (LM) by astronaut David R. Scott, commander, during his stand-up extravehicular activity (EVA) just after the LM Falcon touched down at the Hadley-Apennine landing site. The prominent feature on the horizon in the center of the picture was called Silver Spur by the Apollo 15 crew men. Hadley Delta Mountain rises approximately 4,000 meters (about 13,124 feet) above the plain. While astronauts Scott and James B. Irwin, lunar module pilot, descended in the LM to explore the moon, astronaut Alfred M. Worden, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Module's (CSM) in lunar orbit.

JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, HOUSTON, TEXAS - Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. walks on the surface of the Moon near a leg of the Lunar Module during the Apollo 11 EVA. Armstrong also took this picture with the 70-mm lunar surface camera. Note footprints in the foreground.

The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12, launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in whats known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. This is the seventeenth of 25 images captured by t

view to our planet earth from moon An image of a space view to our planet earth from moon Copyright: xZoonar.com/magannx 14322258

AS08-13-2329 (Dec. 1968) --- The Earth rising is about five degrees above the lunar horizon in this black and white telephoto view photographed from the Apollo 8 spacecraft near 110 degrees east longitude. The horizon, about 570 kilometers (350 statute miles) from the spacecraft, is near the eastern limb of the Moon as viewed from Earth. On Earth, 240,000 statute miles away, the sunset terminator crosses Africa. The South Pole is in the white area near the left end of the terminator. North and South America are under clouds.

Astronaut James Irwin, Apollo 15, 1971

View of a red planet from the moon

(21 April 1972) --- Astronaut John W. Young, commander of the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission, leaps from the lunar surface as he salutes the U.S. flag, during the first Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA) on the moon.

April 22, 1972 - A close-up view of a block (about 1/2 meter long) found by the two Moon-exploring crew members of the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission. The block had been rolled over only moments earlier during the Apollo 16 second extravehicular activity near South ray Crater.

AS15-99-13445 (31 July 1971) --- This ultra violet picture of Earth rising over the lunar surface was taken from the Command Module (CM) Endeavor during the 24th revolution of the moon. Astronaut Alfred M. Worden Jr., Apollo 15 command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit while astronauts David R. Scott, commander, and James B. Irwin, lunar module pilot, descended in the Lunar Module (LM) to explore the Hadley-Apennine area of the moon.

A partially illuminated Earth rises above the lunar horizon in this photograph taken from the Apollo 12 spacecraft in lunar orbit..

AS10-27-3907 (18-26 May 1969) --- Apollo 10 westward view across Apollo Landing Site 3 in the Central Bay. Apollo Landing Site 3 is in the middle distance at the left margin of the pronounced ridge in the left half of the photograph. Bruce, the prominent crater, near the bottom of the scene, is about 6 kilometers (3.7 statute miles) in diameter. Topographic features on the surface of the Central Bay are accentuated by the low sun angle. Sun angles range from near 6 degrees at the bottom of the photograph to less than one degree at the top.

AS12-49-7318 (19-20 Nov. 1969) --- One of the Apollo 12 crew members is photographed with the tools and carrier of the Apollo Lunar Hand Tools (ALHT) during extravehicular activity (EVA) on the surface of the moon. Several footprints made by the two crew members during their EVA are seen in the foreground. While astronauts Charles Conrad Jr., commander, and Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot, descended in the Lunar Module (LM) Intrepid to explore the Ocean of Storms region of the moon, astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr., command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) Yankee Clipper in lunar orbit.

An astronaut standing on a barren world with planet rising in background.

An astronaut on the moon standing next to an American flag

The Apollo 11 Lunar Module (LM) ascent stage, with astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. onboard, is photographed from the Command and Services Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit..

AS10-34-5162 (18-26 May 1969) --- An Apollo 10 view of crater Schmidt which is located at the western edge of the Sea of Tranquility. Schmidt, which has a diameter of 7 statute miles, is also located just south of the crater Ritter and immediately west of the crater Sabine. The coordinates of Schmidt are 18.8 degrees east longitude and 1.2 degrees north latitude. The shadowed area is on the east side of the crater.

AS17-145-22254 (14 Dec. 1972) --- An excellent view of the Apollo 17 Command and Service Modules (CSM) photographed from the Lunar Module (LM) Challenger during rendezvous and docking maneuvers in lunar orbit. The LM ascent stage, with astronauts Eugene A. Cernan and Harrison H. Schmitt aboard, had just returned from the Taurus-Littrow landing site on the lunar surface. Astronaut Ronald E. Evans remained with the CSM in lunar orbit. Note the exposed Scientific Instrument Module (SIM) Bay in Sector 1 of the Service Module (SM). Three experiments are carried in the SIM bay S-209 lunar sounder, S-171 infrared scanning spectrometer, and the S-169 far-ultraviolet spectrometer. Also mounted in the SIM bay are the panoramic camera, mapping camera and laser altimeter used in service module photographic tasks. A portion of the LM is on the right.

Satellite orbiting the moon, Apollo 15, Apollo Command and Service Module in lunar orbit

One of the first steps taken on the moon, this is an image of Buzz Aldrin's bootprint from the Apollo 11 mission. Date: 20 July 1969

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