Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Last lunar footprints - seen again.

Apollo 17 was the last mission to the moon back in December 1972. Gene Cernan is still the last person to leave a footprint on the moon. Before leaving the surface, he said the following:
"As I take man's last step from the surface, back home for some time to come — but we believe not too long into the future — I'd like to just [say] what I believe history will record — that America's challenge of today has forged man's destiny of tomorrow. And, as we leave the Moon at Taurus-Littrow, we leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind. Godspeed the crew of Apollo 17."
Finally, just before launch the final words on the moon were "Let's get this mother out of here"
So here we are 36 years later and nobody has walked on the moon since.
But....LRO is giving us the best views of the surface since Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt left.
Here it is, the Apollo 17 site including the flag and final footprints visible.

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