Apollo 17 launched on December 7, 1972, carrying the last astronauts to walk on the Moon. Its night liftoff marked the final chapter of the Apollo program and the end of humanity’s first era of lunar exploration. Follow @spaceeves #Apollo17 #NASA #RocketScience | SpaceEve

On December 7, 1972, the mighty Saturn V rocket lit up the Florida night sky, carrying Eugene Cernan, Harrison “Jack” Schmitt, and Ronald Evans on humanity’s final Apollo mission to the Moon. 🌕 The launch was so bright that even roosters thought morning had arrived early 🐓☀️. While Evans stayed in orbit “house-sitting” the Command Module, Cernan and Schmitt descended in the Lunar Module Challenger and explored the Taurus-Littrow Valley. They planted the flag, set up experiments, drove the luna