Apollo 17, the final mission of the Apollo program, made history as the last time humans set foot on the moon. Launched on December 7, 1972, the mission was commanded by Eugene Cernan, with Ronald Evans as the command module pilot and Harrison Schmitt as the lunar module pilot. During their 12-day mission, the crew conducted three moonwalks, exploring the Taurus-Littrow valley and collecting samples of lunar rocks and soil. Apollo 17 also saw the deployment of several scientific instruments, including a seismometer and a laser ranging retroreflector, which are still used today to study the moon. As the lunar module lifted off from the lunar surface, Cernan famously said, "We leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return," marking the end of an era in human space exploration.
