HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Wednesday, December 7 marks the 50th anniversary of Apollo 17, the Apollo program's final mission to the moon.
The Huntsville-Designed Saturn 5 rocket lifted off December 7th, 1972 with three astronauts aboard and as part of the anniversary, the Space and Rocket Center hosted a special guest.
Apollo 17 Astronaut and Scientist Dr. Harrison Schmitt visited the Space and Rocket Center.
This mission was the last of its kind. Only 12 people have walked on the moon and four of those astronauts are still alive, Dr. Schmitt being one of them.
"The main thing that surprised me about walking on the moon was being there…I tell you that being there is something that you have to experience yourself," Schmitt said.
He shares this experience is unlike anything you see in pictures or on tv, "it's like being in a very deep mountain valley, radiant sun illuminating the walls of the valley…against a blacker than black sky."
While he was on the moon he collected, documented and returned over 200-pounds of lunar samples.
"Samples that were brought back by the Apollo missions continue to be the gift that keeps on giving, there are thousands of researchers, several generations through that time that benefited in their careers from having the ability to work on those samples," Schmitt said.
As part of the mission's anniversary, Dr. Schmitt retraced his boot-steps on the Taurus-Littrow Valley of the lunar surface in the clarity of the INTUITIVE® Planetarium.
Dr. Schmitt says he's excited for the Artemis II launch, sending more astronauts to space.
And shares that while you're on the moon, with a quick glance of mother earth, you're brought a sense of comfort.
"Anytime you feel a little bit like you'd like to see home, you'd just look up and see the earth."
More about the event:
The evening began with cocktails and heavy hors d’oeuvres in the planetarium’s reception area.
Tickets for this extraordinary experience were extremely limited.
Tickets were $250 each with proceeds going to completion of the new Space Camp Operations Center.