Table of Contents
Why was Apollo 17 important in the space race?
Apollo 17 was the last Apollo mission to land men on the Moon. It carried the only trained geologist to walk on the lunar surface, lunar module pilot Harrison Schmitt.
What did Apollo 17 discover on the Moon?
Fast Facts: Apollo 17 The crew collected the oldest known unshocked lunar rock, which suggests that the Moon had a dynamo-generated magnetic field in its past. They also obtained samples of “orange soil” containing volcanic glass from an explosive eruptionm, as well as deploying scientific experiments.
What did the astronauts leave on the Moon?
Table of objects
| Artificial object | Country | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Apollo 17 S-IVB (S-IVB-512) | United States | Intentionally crashed |
| Apollo 17 LM-12 Challenger descent stage | United States | Landed |
| Apollo 17 Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV-3) | United States | Landed |
| Apollo 17 LM-12 Challenger ascent stage | United States | Crashed (post-mission) |
What were some of the scientific experiments conducted by the crew of Apollo 17?
The S-Band Transponder Experiment measured regional variations in the Moon’s gravitational acceleration. The Apollo Lunar Sounder Experiment used radar to study the structure of the upper kilometer of the lunar crust. The Ultraviolet Spectrometer Experiment studied the composition of the lunar atmosphere.
How many of the Apollo astronauts are still alive?
Four
Twelve people have walked on the Moon, all of them as part of the Apollo program. Four of them are still living as of October 2021. All of the crewed Apollo lunar landings took place between July 1969 and December 1972.
What is the name of the Apollo mission that failed to land on the Moon?
Apollo 13 (April 11 – 17, 1970) was the seventh crewed mission in the Apollo space program and the third meant to land on the Moon. The craft was launched from Kennedy Space Center on April 11, 1970, but the lunar landing was aborted after an oxygen tank in the service module (SM) failed two days into the mission.