The last human moon landing was Apollo 17, which took place in December 1972, with astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt walking on the lunar surface, marking the final crewed mission of NASA's Apollo program. They landed in the Taurus-Littrow valley, collecting samples and conducting scientific research before returning to Earth, according to historical records.
Why #1: Why Haven't We Been Back to the Moon Since 1972? The simple answer is that after Apollo 17 in December 1972, there was no political will or public support to continue. NASA had three more Apollo missions planned (Apollo 18, 19, and 20), but they were cancelled due to budget cuts and shifting priorities.
The last crewed mission to the Moon was Apollo 17, taking place between 7 and 19 December 1972. It was a 12-day mission and broke many records, the longest space walk, the longest lunar landing and the largest lunar samples brought back to Earth. Harrison H.
We haven't returned to the Moon primarily due to immense cost, shifting political priorities away from space exploration (no Cold War space race), and the need to develop entirely new, more complex, and safer technologies for sustainable presence, as Apollo-era methods were rapid, expensive, and risky. While we have superior tech, rebuilding the logistics for complex, long-term missions, managing lunar dust, and overcoming the lost knowledge from the Apollo era present significant hurdles, though NASA's Artemis program aims to overcome these challenges.
Harrison Schmitt, the only geologist to walk on the Moon (Apollo 17), famously discovered "orange soil" (volcanic glass beads) at Shorty Crater, providing key evidence for ancient lunar volcanism and volatile elements, and also collected important rocks like Troctolite 76535, suggesting the Moon once had a magnetic field. His finds confirmed volcanic activity and offered insights into the Moon's formation, including unexpected volatile elements that challenged existing models.
There are six flags up there, planted between 1969 and 1972. Five are still standing. But time has taken its toll. Most experts agree those once-bright flags have likely turned white after decades of unfiltered ultraviolet light.
If you're planning to drink the moon water, just be sure the water is potable, meaning safe and clean. 2. Find a spot where the moon shines brightest. Put your jar of water somewhere it can absorb the light of the moon with the least obstruction.
The founder of astrogeology, Gene Shoemaker, is the only person to date whose ashes have been buried on the moon.
NASA astronauts earn a civilian salary based on the government's General Schedule (GS) pay scale, typically from the GS-12 to GS-14 levels, meaning their annual pay ranges roughly from $100,000 to over $160,000, depending on experience and qualifications, with some highly experienced astronauts reaching GS-15, with no overtime or hazard pay, though they get a small daily stipend for time in space, as explained on the NASA website and by Fortune. Military astronauts remain on active duty pay, receiving military benefits.
These changes would happen over the course of thousands to millions of years, which may sound like a long time, but the changes would be dramatic. Without the Moon, the stability of Earth's axis would be lost again, and with it, our predictable temperatures.
Knowing the lunar absence began around 1110, the team suggests a cluster of volcanic eruptions from between 1108 and 1110 was most likely the root cause, not the 1104 Hekla eruption as previously thought. One of these oft-forgotten eruptions took place in 1108 in Honshu, Japan.
Return to the Moon
Artemis II, scheduled for launch between February and April sees the return of the first people to the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. Three American and one Canadian astronaut will orbit the Moon on a 10 day journey that lays the foundation for lunar landings in the coming years.
The Apollo 17 LM and crew logged the longest stay on the Moon at 74 hours, 59 minutes, 38 seconds. The Apollo 17 Command Service Module (CSM) completed the most lunar orbits at 75, setting a record manned lunar orbit stay of 147 hours, 48 minutes.
In Genesis 1:14-18, the moon is described as one of God's "great lights" to separate day from night and mark seasons, days, and years. Psalm 104:19 reiterates this, stating that God made the moon to mark the seasons. In Psalm 136:9, the moon is praised as a testament to God's enduring love.
He said although Armstrong wasn't a “back-slapping, easy-to-get-along-with” kind of person, they were still friends. They became close while working on the Apollo mission, according to Aldrin.
Armstrong and Scott received the NASA Exceptional Service Medal, and the Air Force awarded Scott the Distinguished Flying Cross as well. Scott was promoted to lieutenant colonel, and Armstrong received a $678 raise in pay to $21,653 a year (equivalent to $209,845 in 2024), making him NASA's highest-paid astronaut.
There are no age restrictions for the program. Astronaut candidates selected in the past have ranged between the ages of 26 and 46, with the average age being 34.
The crew of the 10-day flight includes former NASA astronaut Michael López-Alegría and paying passengers Larry Connor, Mark Pathy and Eytan Stibbe. The three businessmen paid $55 million apiece.
During the Apollo program, fecal bags were kept in a waste compartment and brought back to Earth for disposal or left on the surface of the Moon. NASA kept a log of all poops on the Apollo missions. Six Apollo landings left 96 bags of waste on the surface of the Moon!
In 2019, NASA astronaut Anne McClain found herself at the center of a headline-grabbing controversy—accused of committing the world's “first crime in space.” 🛰️ While on a six-month mission aboard the International Space Station, McClain's estranged spouse, Summer Worden, filed a federal complaint claiming McClain had ...
Although still a rare possibility, mainly in situations where qualified medical personnel are not available, the likelihood of alive burial is nowadays fortunately rare. Keywords: Asphyxia; Buried alive; Grave; Taphophobia.
It begins 9 hours before the lunar eclipse, for this eclipse, it starts at 12:59 PM on September 7, 2025. During this time, people avoid auspicious activities, temple visits, cooking, and worship, as the cosmic energies are believed to be disturbed. Avoid touching sacred plants like Tulsi, Peepal, and Banyan.
On a full moon, it's often advised not to start major new ventures or make big decisions due to amplified emotions and energy, avoid overreacting or engaging in conflict, and instead focus on reflection, releasing what no longer serves you, and self-care to manage intense feelings. Avoid impulsive actions and instead use this time for assessment and winding down, as the bright light symbolizes culmination and clarity, making it ideal for release, not beginnings.
While making small volumes of pure water in a lab is possible, it's not practical to “make” large volumes of water by mixing hydrogen and oxygen together. The reaction is expensive, releases lots of energy, and can cause really massive explosions.