Apollo 17 – last human footsteps on the moon – 53 years ago

Astronaut Gene Cernan stands on the moon on December 13, 1972. The astronauts of Apollo 17 left the moon the next day. It’s now been 53 years since humans have touched the lunar surface. Image via NASA.

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53 years since we last set foot on the moon

If you were born after December 14, 1972, no human has set foot on the moon in your lifetime. The final crewed mission to land on the moon, Apollo 17, left there 53 years ago today. Gene Cernan, the last person to touch the moon’s surface, spoke these words before departing:

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.

Future missions to the moon

With Artemis 1 successfully launching into lunar orbit and returning safely, we’ve finally begun to take steps toward the future that Cernan and so many others envisioned.

The next part of the Artemis program – Artemis 2 – will be a crewed mission. It’ll follow in the footsteps of Artemis 1 by orbiting the moon with humans aboard. Not until Artemis 3 will humans return to the lunar surface. Artemis 2 will likely fly in early 2026. And when will Artemis 3 fly? It’s currently scheduled for mid-2027, but most expect these timelines to shift further into the future.

SpaceX planned a mission to the moon called dearMoon, that would last for about a week and come within 125 miles (200 km) of the lunar surface. That mission was cancelled in 2024.

China also has plans to land a crew on the moon in 2030 and eventually build a research station there.

But, whether NASA reaches the moon first, or China, it should only be a few more years before humans once again set foot on the moon. When it happens, however it happens, the world will be watching with, as Gene Cernan said:

… Peace and hope for all.

Bottom line: It’s been 53 years since humans last set foot on the moon. The Apollo 17 astronauts left the lunar surface on December 14, 1972.

The post Apollo 17 – last human footsteps on the moon – 53 years ago first appeared on EarthSky.

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