Dreams of Space
The stars twinkled brightly in the night sky as young Eugene Cernan pressed his nose against his bedroom window. He was just seven years old, but he already knew what he wanted to be when he grew up - an astronaut!
"Mom, do you think I'll ever go to space?" little Gene asked, his eyes wide with wonder.
His mother smiled warmly. "If you work hard and follow your dreams, you can do anything."
Gene never forgot those words. As he grew up in Chicago, he spent hours reading about airplanes and rockets. He loved watching planes soar overhead and imagining himself flying among the clouds. ✈️
Fun Fact: Eugene Cernan got his nickname "Gene" from his family and friends when he was little.
Gene worked very hard in school. He studied math and science, and later joined the Navy to become a pilot. Flying jets was exciting, but Gene wanted more - he wanted to touch the stars!
When NASA started looking for astronauts, Gene knew this was his big chance. There were hundreds of people who wanted to be astronauts. They all had to take hard tests and stay very healthy. Gene passed all the tests with flying colors!
The Special Team
In 1972, NASA picked Gene to lead the very last Apollo mission to the moon - Apollo 17. He would be the commander! Two other brave astronauts would go with him:
• Harrison "Jack" Schmitt - A scientist who studied moon rocks• Ronald Evans - The pilot who would drive their spaceship
"I was just a young kid with a dream," Gene said. "Now I'm going to lead the last mission to the moon!"
Gene and his teammates trained every day. They learned how to:
Drive the special moon car
Use special tools while wearing big space suits
Work together as a team
Stay safe in space
Getting Ready for History
As the launch day got closer, Gene thought about all the kids who dreamed about space, just like he did. He wanted to show them that dreams really can come true!
"This isn't just my mission," Gene told his daughter Tracy. "This is for all the dreamers out there."
The huge rocket stood tall and ready on the launch pad. It was as tall as a 36-story building! Gene and his crew knew they were about to do something very special. They would be the last humans to walk on the moon for a very long time.
Important Note: Apollo 17 was the final mission of NASA's Apollo program. No humans have walked on the moon since then!
At night, Gene would look up at the moon from his backyard. Soon, he would be up there, leaving footprints in the moon dust. He thought about all the years it took to get here - from that little boy staring out his bedroom window to becoming an astronaut who would make history.
The whole country was excited about Apollo 17. It would be the last chance to explore the moon's mysteries. Gene and his team were ready for their big adventure. They had trained hard and knew what they had to do.
As Gene tucked his daughter into bed the night before leaving for the launch site, she asked, "Daddy, will you wave to me from the moon?"
Gene smiled and hugged her tight. "I'll do better than that, sweetie. I'll write your initials in the moon dust."
The stage was set for humanity's final journey to the moon. Gene Cernan, the little boy who once dreamed of touching the stars, was about to lead one of the greatest adventures in history. Journey to the Stars
The big day was finally here! Gene Cernan and his crew woke up early on December 7, 1972. The giant Saturn V rocket stood tall against the dark sky, ready to take them to the moon.
Getting Ready for Launch
"Time to suit up!" called the helper at NASA. Gene and his friends put on their special space suits. They were white and puffy, like wearing a big balloon!
Cool Fact: The space suits had their own air conditioning to keep the astronauts comfy!
Gene gave his family one last hug. His daughter Tracy held on extra tight. "Bring me back a moon rock, Daddy!" she said with a big smile.
The crew rode a special elevator up to the top of the rocket. It was as tall as a really big building! Inside their tiny space capsule, they had to lie on their backs and wait.
The Big Countdown
The ground started to shake as the rocket engines came alive!
"10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... LIFTOFF!"
WHOOSH! The rocket shot up into the sky like a giant firecracker! The noise was so loud that birds flew away from trees miles away. The rocket pushed against Earth's gravity really hard.
First stop: Earth orbit
Next stop: The Moon!
Time to get there: 3 days
Life in Space
Once they were floating in space, everything was different! Their food floated around in little packets. They had to drink from special straws. Even going to the bathroom was tricky!
Space Snack Time: The astronauts ate things like beef stew and chocolate pudding - but all their food came in tubes and packets!
Gene looked out the window and saw Earth getting smaller and smaller. It looked like a beautiful blue marble in space. "Wow," he thought, "we're really on our way to the moon!"
Working Together
The three astronauts had lots of work to do during their trip:
Jack checked all their science tools
Ron made sure the spaceship stayed on course ⭐
Gene talked to Mission Control back on Earth
"Houston, Apollo 17 is doing great!" Gene would say. The people at Mission Control were always happy to hear their voices.
Almost There!
After three days of floating through space, they finally saw it - the moon! It was getting bigger and bigger in their window.
"Look at that!" said Jack, pointing at the gray, cratered surface. "We're going to be walking down there soon!"
Gene thought about all the people watching back on Earth. He thought about Tracy and how she would see her daddy on TV, walking on the moon. He couldn't wait to explore this new world!
The crew started getting ready for the most exciting part of their mission - landing on the moon! They checked their equipment one last time and prepared for the adventure of a lifetime. The moon was waiting for them, and they were ready to make history! Racing Through Space
The Apollo 17 spacecraft zoomed through the dark sky like a speedy silver bullet! Gene, Jack, and Ron floated inside their tiny home in space. Earth looked like a small blue marble behind them.
Life in Zero Gravity
"Watch this!" laughed Jack as he let go of his spoon. It didn't fall - it just floated away! Everything floated in space. The astronauts had to be extra careful not to lose their things.
Space Fun: The astronauts had to strap themselves down to sleep, or they would float away!
Gene wrote in his space diary: "It's like swimming in air up here! Everything moves in slow motion." ♂️
Daily Space Tasks
Check the computers
Take pictures of Earth
Do science experiments
Exercise to stay strong
Space Food Adventures
Eating in space was like having a funny picnic! Their food came in special packages that wouldn't make a mess.
"Hey Ron, catch this floating ice cream sandwich!" called Jack. The special space ice cream didn't need to be cold!
Looking at the Stars
The windows of their spaceship showed the most amazing view ever! Stars sparkled like millions of tiny diamonds. There was no air in space to make them twinkle like they do on Earth.
Space View: The astronauts could see more stars than anyone on Earth ever could!
Talking to Earth
"Houston, this is Apollo 17," Gene called through their radio. "Everything's working great up here!"
The friendly voice from Earth replied, "Copy that, Apollo 17. You're right on track!"
Getting Close to the Moon
After two days of floating through space, they could see the moon getting bigger and bigger!
"Look at those craters!" Ron pointed out the window. The moon's gray surface looked like Swiss cheese with all its holes and bumps.
Ready for Landing
Gene started checking their landing plans. Soon, he and Jack would ride down to the moon's surface in their smaller spacecraft called the Lunar Module.
"We're almost there," Gene smiled. "Time to make history!"
The moon was waiting for them. Their amazing space adventure was about to get even better! The whole world was watching and cheering them on as they got closer and closer to their landing spot on the moon's surface. Moonwalk Adventures
The lunar module, Challenger, touched down softly on the moon's surface. Gene and Jack felt their hearts racing with excitement!
First Steps
"Taking my first step on the moon!" Gene called out as he climbed down the ladder. His big space boot made a perfect print in the moon dust.
"Beautiful, beautiful! Look at those mountains, Jack!" Gene's voice crackled through the radio.
Moon Facts: The moon dust felt like powder and stuck to everything!
Moon Car Fun
The astronauts unfolded their special moon car - the Lunar Rover. It looked like a dune buggy with big wheels!
"Time for our moon road trip!" Jack laughed as they hopped in. The rover bounced and bumped over the rocky ground.
Rock Hunting
Gene and Jack were like space detectives looking for special moon rocks. They had special tools to dig and pick up samples.
"Look what I found!" Jack shouted excitedly. "The soil here is orange!" This was a super special discovery that scientists still study today!
Cool Discovery: The orange soil showed that volcanoes once erupted on the moon!
Moon Science
Collected moon rocks
Took lots of pictures
Set up science tools
Measured moon quakes
Moon Views
The astronauts drove their rover to the edge of a huge crater. Earth looked like a bright blue marble floating in the black sky.
"Wow," whispered Gene. "Our planet looks so small from here."
Working Hard
The astronauts worked for three whole days on the moon! They had to be careful with their air supply and stay close to their landing spot.
"Houston, we're having the time of our lives up here!" Gene reported back to Earth.
Moon Mysteries
Each day brought new surprises. They found rocks that sparkled, deep craters, and tall mountains that touched the stars.
"The moon is full of secrets," Jack said as he picked up another interesting rock. "These samples will help scientists learn so much!"
Space Record: Apollo 17 spent more time exploring the moon than any other mission!
As the sun set over the lunar mountains, Gene and Jack knew their moon adventure would soon come to an end. But they still had more exploring to do! Their footprints would stay on the moon forever, telling the story of their amazing journey. Moon Science Adventures
The sun rose over the lunar mountains as Gene and Jack started another exciting day of moon exploring!
Rock Detective Work
Gene picked up a sparkly rock with his special space tongs. "Houston, this one looks different from anything we've seen before!"
"It's like holding a piece of moon magic in our hands," Jack smiled behind his helmet.
Cool Science Fact: The astronauts collected 243 pounds of moon rocks and soil!
Talking to Earth
"Houston, can you hear us?" Gene called through his radio. The scientists back on Earth were super excited about every discovery!
"We see something really neat," Jack reported. "The rocks here tell stories about the moon's past!"
Space Photography
The astronauts took hundreds of pictures with their special space cameras. They wanted to show everyone back home what the moon looked like!
Moon Photo Checklist:
Big craters
Tall mountains
Special rocks
Footprints in moon dust
Earth in the sky
Tricky Problems
"Uh-oh," Gene said one day. "My glove is getting covered in moon dust!" The sticky dust was everywhere and made things hard to hold.
But the astronauts were good at fixing problems. They helped each other brush off the dust and kept working.
Science Tools
The moon explorers set up lots of cool...
[Content restricted to members only]