Apollo 17 was the final crewed mission of NASA's Apollo program and the sixth mission to land humans on the Moon. It was launched with the goal of conducting extensive geological exploration and scientific research on the lunar surface. The mission had Eugene A Cernan as commander, Ronald E Evans as command module pilot, and Harrison H Schmitt as lunar module pilot. The astronauts used the Lunar Roving Vehicle to travel across the lunar surface, covering a total distance of about 35.9 kilometers (22.3 miles). They collected 110.5 kilograms (243.1 pounds) of lunar samples, including rocks and soil from different geological formations, providing valuable insights into the Moon's history and composition. The astronauts explored the Taurus-Littrow Valley, focusing on the geology of the area and conducting experiments such as drilling core samples.

Apollo 17 safely splashed down in the Pacific Ocean and was recovered by the USS Ticonderoga.