Apollo 17 Timeline

Apollo 17 Timeline
December 6, 1972

Morning: Countdown for Apollo 17 begins.
Evening:Launch window opens.
An estimated 700,000 spectators gather to watch the launch.
Countdown halted at T-minus 30 seconds due to a faulty diode that prevented third stage oxidizer tank pressurization.
Launch team implements a workaround.
December 7, 1972

12:31 AM: Apollo 17 launches.
Post-Launch:Apollo 17 achieves Earth orbit.
Crew experiences spurious master alarms during their first two orbits.
Crew prepares for trans-lunar injection (TLI).
December 8 & 9, 1972

Flight Day 2:Crew conducts a mid-course correction burn.
Minor leaks detected in water chlorination ampoules.
Day shortened due to launch delay.
Jack Schmidt provides regular weather reports.
Flight Day 3:Crew performs mid-course correction burn.
Docking latches malfunction during docking probe removal, but issue resolved manually.
Alph Med experiment conducted, with all crew members reporting seeing flashes.
Apollo 17 disappears behind the Moon for LOI burn.
December 10, 1972

Apollo 17 enters lunar orbit.
Orbital Science:CSM's orbital science instruments activated.
DOI burn trims orbit to 109 by 27 kilometers.
December 11, 1972

Landing Day:Cernan and Schmidt enter the lunar module Challenger.
Undocking and DOI2 maneuver performed.
2:54 PM: Apollo 17 lands in Taurus-Littrow.
Crew begins preparations for EVA 1.
EVA 1:Cernan becomes the last human to step on the Moon.
Alsep deployment and initial exploration near the landing site.
Gene accidentally breaks off the right rear fender of the lunar rover.
Geology Station 1 canceled, replaced with improvised Station 1A.
Crew deploys explosive charges for lunar seismic profiling experiment.
EVA 1 ends after 7 hours 11 minutes and 53 seconds.
December 12, 1972

EVA 2:Crew improvises a new fender for the rover using maps, duct tape, and clamps.
They travel 7.5 kilometers west to the South Massif, the furthest any astronaut has ventured from their lunar lander.
Geology stations 2 and 2A completed.
Discovery of orange soil at Shorty crater, indicating past volcanic activity.
Station 3 at the edge of the scarp explored.
EVA 2 concluded after 7 hours and 36 minutes.
December 13, 1972

Ron Evans continues orbital science observations and data collection.Lunar Sounder maps subsurface features.
Infrared scanning radiometer measures surface temperatures.
Far ultraviolet spectrometer detects a short-lived cloud from Challenger's exhaust plume.
Biocore experiment continues.
Cernan and Schmidt conduct EVA 3:They explore the North Massif, visiting stations 6 and 7.
They sample boulders and collect data on the valley's geological history.
They drive south, making stops at Station 8 and Van Serg crater.
They leave a final explosive charge and return to the LEM.
EVA 3 ends after 7 hours and 15 minutes.
December 14, 1972

Lunar Ascent:Cernan and Schmidt lift off from the lunar surface in the Challenger ascent stage.
Ron Evans successfully tracks the ascent stage with the CSM camera.
Challenger rendezvous and docks with America.
Crew transfers lunar samples and data.
Ascent stage jettisoned and deliberately crashed into the Moon.
December 15-16, 1972

Return to Earth:Remaining explosive charges detonate on the lunar surface.
Lunar rover TV camera transmissions cease.
Apollo 17 conducts final lunar orbit.
TEI burn sends Apollo 17 back to Earth.
December 17, 1972

Ron Evans conducts deep space EVA to retrieve film and data cassettes from the Sim bay.
December 18, 1972

Crew holds a press conference from space, reflecting on the mission and their experiences.
Mid-course correction burn conducted using RCS jets.
December 19, 1972

Apollo 17 splashes down in the Pacific Ocean.
Cast of Characters
Apollo 17 Crew

Eugene Cernan (Commander): A two-time spaceflight veteran, having flown on Gemini 9A and Apollo 10. He became the last human to walk on the Moon.
Ronald Evans (Command Module Pilot): Made his only spaceflight on Apollo 17. He conducted extensive orbital observations and performed a deep space EVA.
Harrison Schmitt (Lunar Module Pilot): A geologist and the first scientist-astronaut to walk on the Moon. Played a key role in sample collection and geological analysis.
Mission Control & Support

Gene Kranz (Flight Director): Led the team of flight controllers at Mission Control during Apollo 17.
Christopher C. Kraft (Deputy Director, Manned Spacecraft Center): Key decision-maker in crew selection.
Deke Slayton (Director of Flight Crew Operations): Responsible for astronaut selection and mission assignments.
Jim McDivitt (Apollo Spacecraft Program Manager): Initially opposed to Cernan’s command due to a helicopter accident.
Joe Engle (Backup Lunar Module Pilot): Originally assigned to fly on Apollo 17, he lost his spot to Schmitt but remained a dedicated supporter of the mission.
Gordon Fullerton (Capcom): Communicated with the crew from Mission Control.
Other Notable Figures

Richard Gordon (Apollo 12 Astronaut): Vied for command of Apollo 17 but was ultimately passed over.
Alfred Worden (Apollo 15 Astronaut): His observations from lunar orbit helped select the Taurus-Littrow landing site.
John Young (Apollo 16 Astronaut): Served on the backup crew for Apollo 17.
Charlie Duke (Apollo 16 Astronaut): Served on the backup crew for Apollo 17.
Stu Roosa (Apollo 14 Astronaut): Served on the backup crew for Apollo 17.