Historical Moon Missions

Iconic lunar exploration images featuring astronauts on the moon's surface, documenting key moments from Apollo missions.

Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr, descending the lunar module ladder to the moon surface, Apollo 11, July 20, 1969

Astronaut Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot, traverses with the two sub packages of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) during the first Apollo 12 extravehicular activity (EVA). Bean deployed the ALSEP components 300 feet from the Lunar Module (LM). The LM and deployed erectable S-band antenna can be seen in the background..

Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr, descending the lunar module ladder to the moon surface, Apollo 11, July 20, 1969

AS12-47-6918 (19 Nov. 1969) --- Astronaut Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot, took this photograph of three of the components of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) which was deployed on the moon during the first Apollo 12 extravehicular activity (EVA). The Passive Seismic Experiment (PSE) is in the center foreground. The largest object is the Central Station; and the white object on legs is the Suprathermal Ion Detector Experiment (SIDE). A portion of the shadow of astronaut Charles Conrad Jr., commander, can be seen at the left center edge of the picture. Astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr., command module pilot, remained with the Apollo 12 Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit while Conrad and Bean descended in the Lunar Module (LM) to explore the moon.

AS17-147-22527 (11 Dec. 1972) --- Astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, Apollo 17 mission commander, makes a short checkout of the Lunar Roving Vehicle during the early part of the first Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. The Lunar Module is in the background. This photograph was taken by scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt, lunar module pilot.

Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr, Apollo 11 Mission Extravehicular Activity, July 20, 1969

1969 Astronaut U.S. Flag And Leg Of Lunar Lander On The Surface Of The Moon

Edwin E Aldrin, Jr. On Moon During Apollo 11 Eva

Apollo 14

Apollo 15 astronaut James Irwin works at the Lunar Roving Vehicle at the Hadley-Apennine landing site. The shadow of the Lunar Module is in the foreground. This view to the northeast, with Mount Hadley in the background. July 31. 1971

AS12-46-6729 (19 Nov. 1969) --- Astronaut Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot for the Apollo 12 lunar landing mission, steps from the ladder of the Lunar Module to join astronaut Charles Conrad Jr., commander, in extravehicular activity on Nov. 19, 1969. Astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr., command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules in lunar orbit.

Astronaut Charles M. Duke, Jr., lunar module pilot of the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission, is photographed collecting lunar samples at Station no. 1 during the first Apollo 16 extravehicular activity at the Descartes landing site. This picture, looking eastward, was taken by Astronaut John W. Young, commander. Duke is standing at the rim of Plum crater, which is 40 meters in diameter and 10 meters deep. The parked Lunar Roving Vehicle can be seen in the left background.

Astronaut Harrison Schmitt collects lunar rake samples during EVA

An Apollo 15 Astronaut Prepping Science Equipment on the Moon

Second man on the Moon. Astronaut Edwin Aldrin, descends the steps of the Lunar Module ladder to the moon's surface. July 20, 1969.

AS11-40-5948 (20 July 1969) --- Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot, is photographed during the Apollo 11 extravehicular activity (EVA) on the moon. He has just deployed the Early Apollo Scientific Experiments Package (EASEP). This is a good view of the deployed equipment. In the foreground is the Passive Seismic Experiment Package (PSEP); beyond it is the Laser Ranging Retro-Reflector (LR-3); in the center background is the United States flag; in the left background is the black and white lunar surface television camera; in the far right background is the Lunar Module (LM). Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, commander, took this picture with a 70mm lunar surface camera. While astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin descended in the Lunar Module (LM) Eagle to explore the Sea of Tranquility region of the moon, astronaut Michael Collins, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) Columbia in lunar orbit.

Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr. Apollo 11 July 20, 1969

AS11-40-5954 (20 July 1969) --- This crater which was located near the point the Apollo 11 Lunar Module (LM) touched down on the moon was photographed by the Apollo 11 astronauts during their lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA). Dark shadows obscure much of the crater wall in the background. Michael Collins, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit while Neil A. Armstrong, commander, and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot, explored the moon. The object in the foreground is the Apollo 11 35mm stereo close-up camera.

AS14-66-9277 (5 Feb. 1971) --- An excellent view of the Apollo 14 Lunar Module (LM) on the moon, as photographed during the first Apollo 14 extravehicular activity (EVA) on the lunar surface. The astronauts have already deployed the U.S. flag. Note the laser ranging retro reflector (LR-3) at the foot of the LM ladder. The LR-3 was deployed later. While astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., commander, and Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot, descended in the LM to explore the moon, astronaut Stuart A. Roosa, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.

Apollo 17 Astronaut Driving a Lunar Rover

AS17-140-21496 (13 Dec. 1972) --- Scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt is photographed standing next to a huge, split boulder during the third Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site on the moon. Schmitt is the Apollo 17 lunar module pilot. This picture was taken by astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, commander. While Cernan and Schmitt descended in the Lunar Module (LM) Challenger to explore the moon, astronaut Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot, remained with the Apollo 17 Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.

(5-6 Feb. 1971) --- Astronaut Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot, moves across the lunar surface as he looks over a traverse map during an extravehicular activity (EVA).

The Apollo 17 Lunar Rover is Dwarfed by the Taurus-Littrow Valley

AS12-46-6780 (19 Nov. 1969) --- Astronaut Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot for the Apollo 12 lunar landing mission, walks from the color lunar surface television camera (center) toward the Apollo 12 Lunar Module (LM - out of frame). The photograph was taken by astronaut Charles Conrad Jr., commander, during the first extravehicular activity (EVA) of the mission. While astronauts Conrad and Bean descended in the LM "Intrepid" to explore the Ocean of Storms region of the moon, astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr., command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Yankee Clipper" in lunar orbit.

AS11-40-5927 (20 July 1969) --- Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot, prepares to deploy the Early Apollo Scientific Experiments Package (EASEP) during the Apollo 11 lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA). Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, commander, took this picture with a 70mm lunar surface camera. During flight the EASEP is stowed in the Lunar Module's (LM) scientific equipment bay at the left year quadrant of the descent stage looking forward. Aldrin is removing the EASEP from its stowed position.

AS11-40-5875 (20 July 1969) --- Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot of the first lunar landing mission, poses for a photograph beside the deployed United States flag during an Apollo 11 extravehicular activity (EVA) on the lunar surface. The Lunar Module (LM) is on the left, and the footprints of the astronauts are clearly visible in the soil of the moon. Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, commander, took this picture with a 70mm Hasselblad lunar surface camera. While astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin descended in the LM, the Eagle , to explore the Sea of Tranquility region of the moon, astronaut Michael Collins, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) Columbia in lunar orbit.

The first manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 11, launched from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida via the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) developed Saturn V launch vehicle on July 16, 1969 and safely returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. Aboard the space craft were astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, Command Module (CM) pilot; and Edwin E. (Buzz) Aldrin Jr., Lunar Module (LM) pilot. The CM, piloted by Michael Collins, remained in a parking orbit around the Moon, while the LM, named Eagle’’, carrying astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin, landed on the Moon in the Sea of Tranquility. The LM was a two part spacecraft. Its lower or descent stage had the landing gear, engines, and fuel needed for the landing. When the LM blasted off the Moon, the descent stage served as the launching pad for its companion ascent stage, which was also home for the two astronauts on the surface of the Moon. The LM was full of gear with which to communicate, navigate, and rendezvou

Expedicion del Apollo 11 en la luna. 1969.

AS14-67-9376 (5 Feb. 1971) --- Several components of the Apollo lunar surface experiments package (ASLEP) are deployed in this photograph taken during the first Apollo 14 extravehicular activity (EVA). The larger object with antenna is the ALSEP central station (CS). The active seismic experiment (ASE) mortar package assembly is to the rear left of the CS. The charged particle lunar environment experiment (CPLEE) is to the right rear of the CS. A portion of the modularized equipment transporter (MET) can be seen in the left foreground.

AS16-114-18388 (21 April 1972) --- Astronaut John W. Young, commander of the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission, stands at the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) deployment site during the first Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Descartes landing site. The components of the ALSEP are in the background. The lunar surface drill is just behind and to the right of astronaut Young. The drill's rack and bore stems are to the left. The three-sensor Lunar Surface Magnetometer is beyond the rack. The dark object in the right background is the Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG). Between the RTG and the drill is the Heat Flow Experiment. A part of the Central Station is at the right center edge of the picture. This photograph was taken by astronaut Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot.

Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr, Apollo 11 Mission, July 20, 1969

The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12 launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in whats known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. This is the sixth of 25 images captured by the crew

AS16-107-17436 (21 April 1972) --- An excellent view of the Lunar Module (LM) Orion and Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV), as photographed by astronaut Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot, during the first Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Descartes landing site. Astronaut John W. Young, commander, can be seen directly behind the LRV. The lunar surface feature in the left background is Stone Mountain. While astronauts Young and Duke descended in the LM to explore the Descartes highlands landing site on the moon, astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly II, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) Casper in lunar orbit.

AS15-88-11901 (31 July-2 Aug. 1971) --- The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) is photographed alone against the desolate lunar background during the third Apollo 15 lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Hadley-Apennine landing site. This view is looking north. The west edge of Mount Hadley is at the upper right edge of the picture. Mount Hadley rises approximately 4,500 meters (about 4,765 feet) above the plain. The most distant lunar feature visible is approximately 25 kilometers (about 15.5 statute miles) away. While astronauts David R. Scott, commander; and James B. Irwin, lunar module pilot, descended in the Lunar Module (LM) Falcon to explore the moon, astronaut Alfred M. Worden, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.

Photograph of Astronaut Eugene A. Crenan, Mission commander, on the Lunar Roving Vehicle, Apollo 17 mission to the moon. Dated 1972

This is the seventh of 25 images captured by the crew in attempt to provide a 360 degree Lunar surface scene. Apollo 12

The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12, launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in whats known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. This is the twelfth of 25 images captured by the c

US Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, walking on the Moon July 20 1969. Taken during the first Lunar landing of the Apollo 11 space mission by NASA.

The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12 launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in whats known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. This is the seventh of 25 images captured by the cr

AS15-86-11601 (31 July 1971) --- Astronaut James B. Irwin, lunar module pilot, works at the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) during the first Apollo 15 lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Hadley-Apennine landing site. The Lunar Module (LM) "Falcon" is on the left. The undeployed Laser Ranging Retro Reflector (LR-3) lies atop the LM's modular equipment stowage assembly (MESA). This view is looking slightly west of south. Hadley Delta and the Apennine Front are in the background to the left. St. George crater is approximately five kilometers (about three statute miles) in the distance behind Irwin's head. This photograph was taken by astronaut David R. Scott, commander. While astronauts Scott and Irwin descended in the LM to explore the moon, astronaut Alfred M. Worden, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.

The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12 launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in whats known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. This is the first of 25 images captured by the crew

AS16-115-18549 (22 April 1972) --- The Apollo 16 Lunar Module (LM) Orion is photographed from a distance by astronaut Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot, aboard the moving Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV). Astronauts Duke and John W. Young, commander, were returning from their excursion to Stone Mountain during the second Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA). The RCA color television camera mounted on the LRV is in the foreground. A portion of the LRV's high-gain antenna is at top left. Smoky Mountain rises behind the LM in this north-looking view at the Descartes landing site. While astronauts Young and Duke descended in the Orion to explore the Descartes highlands landing site on the moon, astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly II, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) Casper in lunar orbit.

AS16-117-18826 (23 April 1972) --- Astronaut John W. Young collects samples at the North Ray Crater geological site during the mission's third and final Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA). He has a rake in his hand, and the gnomon is near his foot. Note how soiled Young's Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) is. While astronauts Young, commander; and Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot; descended in the Apollo 16 Lunar Module (LM) Orion to explore the Descartes highlands landing site on the moon, astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly II, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) Casper in lunar orbit.

Astronaut Edwin Eugene Aldrin, Jr. deploys the Passive Seismic Experiment Package (PSE), Apollo 11 Mission, July 20, 1969

The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12 launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in whats known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. This is the third of 25 images captured by the crew

The Apollo 12 lunar module Intrepid is set in a lunar landing configuration

This photograph of an astronaut getting the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) ready for exploration of the lunar surface was taken during activities of the Apollo 15 mission. Designed and developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center and built by the Boeing Company, the LRV was first used on the Apollo 15 mission and increased the range of astronauts' mobility and productivity on the lunar surface.

AS14-66-9337 (6 Feb. 1971) --- This view shows the javelin and golf ball used by astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., commander, during the mission's second extravehicular activity (EVA) on Feb. 6, 1971. Just to the left of center lies the javelin , with the golf ball just below it, almost perpendicular to it. Dark colored trails are the results of tracks made by the lunar overshoes of the astronauts and the wheels of the modular equipment transporter (MET). This photograph was made through the right window of the Lunar Module (LM), looking northwest.

View of Earth from Apollo 10 from approximately 100,000 miles. Europe, Asia and parts of Africa visible with some cloud cover. NASA photograph.

American astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot, walking on surface of moon near leg of Lunar Module during Apollo 11 extravehicular activity, photography taken by astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, NASA, July 20, 1969

Apollo 17 - The Moon's Taurus-Littrow Valley

July 1969 - This view from the Apollo 11 spacecraft shows the Earth rising above the Moon's horizon. The lunar terrain pictured is in the area of Smyth's Sea on the nearside. Coordinates of the center of the terrain are 86 degrees east longitude and 3 degrees north latitude.

AS14-68-9487 (6 Feb. 1971) --- Astronaut Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot, photographed this sweeping view showing fellow moon-explorer astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., mission commander, and the Apollo 14 Lunar Module (LM). A small cluster of rocks and a few prints made by the lunar overshoes of Mitchell are in the foreground. Mitchell was standing in the boulder field, located just north by northwest of the LM, when he took this picture during the second Apollo 14 extravehicular activity (EVA), on Feb. 6, 1971. While astronaut Stuart A. Roosa, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit, Shepard and Mitchell descended in the LM to explore the moon.

AS12-49-7281 (19-20 Nov 1969) --- Astronaut Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot, pauses near a tool carrier during extravehicular activity (EVA) on the Moon's surface. Astronaut Charles Conrad, Jr., commander, who took the black and white photo, is reflected in Bean's helmet visor. Conrad and Bean had descended in the Apollo 12 Lunar Module (LM) "Intrepid" to explore the lunar surface while Astronaut Richard F. Gordon, Jr., command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Yankee Clipper" in lunar orbit.

In this Apollo 17 onboard photo, Lunar Module pilot Harrison H. Schmitt collects rock samples from a huge boulder near the Valley of Tourus-Littrow on the lunar surface. The seventh and last manned lunar landing and return to Earth mission, the Apollo 17, carrying a crew of three astronauts Schmitt; Mission Commander Eugene A. Cernan; and Command Module pilot Ronald E. Evans, lifted off on December 7, 1972 from the Kennedy Space Flight Center (KSC). Scientific objectives of the Apollo 17 mission included geological surveying and sampling of materials and surface features in a preselected area of the Taurus-Littrow region, deploying and activating surface experiments, and conducting in-flight experiments and photographic tasks during lunar orbit and transearth coast (TEC). These objectives included Deployed experiments such as the Apollo lunar surface experiment package (ALSEP) with a Heat Flow experiment, Lunar seismic profiling (LSP), Lunar surface gravimeter (LSG), Lunar atmospheric

Astronaut David R. Scott commander gives a military salute while standing beside the deployed U.S. flag during the Apollo 15 lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Hadley-Apennine landing site.

AS11-44-6642 (21 July 1969) --- The Apollo 11 Lunar Module ascent stage, with astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. aboard, is photographed from the Command and Service Modules (CSM) during rendezvous in lunar orbit. The Lunar Module (LM) was making its docking approach to the CSM. Astronaut Michael Collins remained with the CSM in lunar orbit while the other two crewmen explored the lunar surface. The large, dark-colored area in the background is Smyth's Sea, centered at 85 degrees east longitude and 2 degrees south latitude on the lunar surface (nearside). This view looks west. The Earth rises above the lunar horizon.

AS15-85-11451 (31 July 1971) --- Astronaut David R. Scott, mission commander, performs a task at the Lunar Roving Vehicle parked on the edge of Hadley Rille during the first Apollo 15 lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA). This photograph was taken by astronaut James B. Irwin, lunar module pilot, from the flank of St. George Crater. The view is looking north along the rille.

JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, HOUSTON, TEXAS - A view of the Earth appears over the lunar horizon as the Apollo 11 Command Module comes into view of the Moon before astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin Jr. leave in the Lunar Module, Eagle, to become the first men to walk on the Moon's surface.

AS16-116-18578 (21 April 1972) --- Astronaut John W. Young, commander of the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission, works at the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) just prior to deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) during the first extravehicular activity (EVA) on April 21, 1972. Note the Ultraviolet (UV) Camera/Spectrometer to the right of the Lunar Module (LM) ladder. Also, note the pile of protective/thermal foil under the U.S. flag on the LM which the astronauts pulled away to get to the Modular Equipment Storage Assembly (MESA) bay. While astronauts Young and Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot; descended in the Apollo 16 LM Orion to explore the Descartes highlands landing site on the moon, astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly II, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) Casper in lunar orbit.

An Astronauts Shadow Reaches Towards Apollo 17 Base Camp

(7-19 Dec. 1972) --- One of the Apollo 17 crew took this picture of a large boulder field during lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site.

Apollo Moon landing. Computer artwork of the original Apollo mission lunar lander on the Moon.

S71-16102 (January 1971) --- A Grumman Aerospace Corporation artist's concept of Apollo 14 crewmen, astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., commander, and Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot, as they set out on their first traverse. Shepard is pulling the Modularized Equipment Transporter (MET) which contains cameras, lunar sample bags, tools and other paraphernalia. Shepard has the Laser Ranging Retro-Reflector (LR3) in his other hand. Mitchell is carrying the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) barbell mode.

AS14-66-9322 (5-6 Feb. 1971) --- This photograph taken through a window of the Apollo 14 Lunar Module (LM), on the moon, shows an excellent view of the nearby terrain. In the center background is the deployed solar wind composition (SWC) experiment. Two LM RCS thrusters are silhouetted in the left foreground. While astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., commander; and Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot; descended in the LM, astronaut Stuart A. Roosa, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.

John Young, astronaut and Navy veteran, salutes the U.S. flag at the Descartes landing site during the first Apollo 16 extravehicular activity during his trip to the Moon as commander of Apollo 16 in April 1972

AS14-66-9293 (5 Feb. 1971) --- A portion of the Fra Mauro landing site as photographed by one of the Apollo 14 astronauts, standing slightly southwest of the Lunar Module (LM), during the early minutes of their first extravehicular activity (EVA) on the moon. The shadow of the astronaut taking the picture is at lower right. Photographs numbered AS14-66-9271 through AS14-66-9293 comprise a 360 degree panoramic view.

This is the second of 25 images captured by the crew in attempt to provide a 360 degree Lunar surface scene. Apollo 12

lunar landing mission on the Moon. Elements of this image furnished by NASA. lunar landing mission on the Moon

Apollo 17 - The Moon's Taurus-Littrow Valley

AS14-67-9386 (5 Feb. 1971) --- A close-up view of the laser ranging retro reflector (LR3) which the Apollo 14 astronauts deployed on the moon during their lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA). While astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., commander, and Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot, descended in the Lunar Module (LM) to explore the moon, astronaut Stuart A. Roosa, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.

AS15-88-11863 (1 Aug. 1971) --- Astronaut David R. Scott, commander, gives a military salute while standing beside the deployed United States flag during the Apollo 15 lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Hadley-Apennine landing site. The flag was deployed toward the end of EVA-2. The Lunar Module (LM), Falcon, is partially visible on the right. Hadley Delta in the background rises approximately 4,000 meters (about 13,124 feet) above the plain. The base of the mountain is approximately 5 kilometers (about three statue miles) away. This photograph was taken by astronaut James B. Irwin, lunar module pilot. While astronauts Scott and Irwin descended in the LM to explore the moon, astronaut Alfred M. Worden, command module pilot, remained in lunar orbit in the Command and Service Modules (CSM).

S72-35594 (21 April 1972) --- Astronaut John W. Young, commander of the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission, leaps from the lunar surface as he salutes the United States flag during the first Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA) on the moon, as seen in this black & white reproduction taken from a color television transmission made by the color TV camera mounted on the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV). Astronaut Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot, stands beside the flag. While astronauts Young and Duke descended in the Apollo 16 Lunar Module (LM) "Orion" to explore the Descartes highlands landing site on the moon, astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly II, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Casper" in lunar orbit.

The Apollo 11 mission launched from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida via the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) developed Saturn V launch vehicle on July 16, 1969 and safely returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. Aboard the space craft were astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins,Command Module (CM) pilot; and Edwin E. (Buzz) Aldrin Jr., Lunar Module (LM) pilot. The CM, piloted by Michael Collins, remained in a parking orbit around the Moon, while the LM, named Eagle’’, carrying astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin, landed on the Moon in the Sea of Tranquility. The LM was a two part spacecraft. Its lower or descent stage had the landing gear, engines, and fuel needed for the landing. When the LM blasted off the Moon, the descent stage served as the launching pad for its companion ascent stage, which was also home for the two astronauts on the surface of the Moon. The LM was full of gear with which to communicate, navigate, and rendezvous. It also had its own propuls

The Harsh Sun Shines Brightly Over Apollo 14 Lunar Module Antares

Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, Apollo ll mission commander, at the modular equipment storage assembly (MESA) of the Lunar Module Eagle on the historic first extravehicular activity (EVA) on the lunar surface. Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. took the photograph with a Hasselblad 70mm camera. Most photos from the Apollo 11 mission show Buzz Aldrin. This is one of only a few that show Neil Armstrong 20 July 1969

This image of the lunar surface was taken by NASA's MoonKAM system onboard the Ebb spacecraft and shows Crater Poinsot located on the northern part of the moon's far side.

Apollo 14's Lunar Rickshaw

An astronaut surveys his situation after being marooned on a barren planet.

Astronaut Charles Conrad unfurling US Flag, Apollo 12 Mission, November 19, 1969

AS17-145-22162 (7-19 Dec. 1972) --- One of the Apollo 17 crew photographed this view during lunar surface extravehicular activities (EVA) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. The Lunar Rover Vehicle (LRV), which was used extensively by astronauts Eugene A. Cernan and Harrison H. Schmitt, is visible in the background.

American astronaut Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot, driving core sample tube into lunar surface during Apollo 12 extravehicular activity, Johnson Space Center, NASA, November 20, 1969

AS11-44-6634 (21 July 1969) --- The Apollo 11 Lunar Module (LM) ascent stage, with astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. onboard, is photographed from the Command and Services Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit. This view is looking west with the Earth rising above the lunar horizon. Astronaut Michael Collins remained with the CSM in lunar orbit while Armstrong and Aldrin explored the moon. The LM is approaching from below. The maze area in the background is Smyth's Sea. At right center is International Astronomical Union crater No. 189.

July 1969 - This view from the Apollo 11 spacecraft shows the Earth rising above the Moon's horizon. The lunar terrain pictured is in the area of Smyth's Sea on the nearside. Coordinates of the center of the terrain are 86 degrees east longitude and 3 degrees north latitude.

The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12, launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in whats known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. This is the thirteenth of 25 images captured by th

AS12-46-6825 (19 Nov. 1969) --- Close-up view of a lunar rock, small crater, and lunar mound as photographed during the Apollo 12 extravehicular activity (EVA). Astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr., command module pilot, remained with the Apollo 12 Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit while astronauts Charles Conrad Jr., commander, and Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot, descended in the Lunar Module (LM) to explore the moon.

On November 17, 1970, the robotic lunar rover, Lunokhod 1, landed on the moon. For the next 10 months the rover was driven by operators in the Soviet Union, with the total distance traveled exceeding 10 km. The rover was driven by solar power during the day; at night it parked and relied on thermal energy from a polonium-210 radioisotope heater to survive the cold (-150 degrees C). The rover was about 7.5 ft long and 5 ft tall. The rover sent back valuable data concerning the composition of the soil, close up views of the topography, and important engineering measurements of the regolith. No photographer credited, undated (cropped and cleaned).

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(23 April 1972) --- Astronaut Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot, works at the 'Shadow Rock', discovered during the missions third extravehicular activity (EVA) in the area of North Ray Crater (Station 13), April 23, 1972. The scoop, a geological hand tool, leans against the rock.

AS15-88-11969 (30 July 1971) --- A view of the Apollo 15 Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit as photographed from the Lunar Module (LM) just after rendezvous. The lunar nearside is in the background. This view is looking southeast into the Sea of Fertility. The crater Taruntius is at the right center edge of the picture.

An Apollo 17 Astronaut Stands Near an American Flag as the Earth Hangs Overhead

Horizon View

The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12 launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in whats known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. This is the fourth of 25 images captured by the cre

(5 Feb. 1971) --- Astronaut Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot, operates the Active Seismic Experiment's (ASE) thumper during the first Apollo 14 extravehicular activity (EVA) on the moon. Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., commander, walks near deployed components of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) in the background.

Apollo 11 - Man Leaves His Mark on the Moon

Apollo 17 - Dirty Boots Are Worth It

AS11-44-6549 (16-24 July 1969) --- This view from the Apollo 11 spacecraft shows Earth rising above the moon's horizon. The lunar terrain pictured is in the area of Smyth's Sea on the nearside. Coordinates of the center of the terrain are 86 degrees east longitude and 3 degrees north latitude. While astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander, and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot, descended in the Lunar Module (LM) Eagle to explore the Sea of Tranquility region of the moon, astronaut Michael Collins, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) Columbia in lunar orbit.

JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, HOUSTON, TEXAS - Apollo 11 Onboard Film -- Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., Lunar Module (LM) pilot, descends the steps of the Lunar module ladder as he prepares to walk on the Moon. He had just egressed the LM. This picture was taken by astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, commander, with a 70-mm lunar surface camera during the Apollo 11 extravehicular activity.

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