Apollo 17

Last Friday, December 7, marked exactly 76 years since Japan attacked Pearl Harbor - and it also marked the launch of Apollo 17 back in 1972. Forty-five years ago a human being stood on the moon, and no one has done it since.

The Apollo Program was designed by NASA to send astronauts to the moon and return them safely to earth. Six Apollo flights accomplished that.

Jack Schmitt, one of the twelve individuals who have walked the moon, spent 22 hours there as a geologist during this mission. "He is eager to see a rebirth of the zeal for U.S. human space exploration that boosted Schmitt and Apollo 17 Cmdr. Eugene Cernan onto the lunar surface . ."

Could we once again successfully explore deep space? He commented:

"We actually are in a much better technical and knowledge position today to undertake a moon-Mars initiative than we were just prior to the start of Apollo."

(cont'd tomorrow)