51 years ago, the last mission of humans to visit our planet’s only natural satellite returned home. On December 19, 1972, it was one of the most important chapters in the history of… space exploration With entering the Earth’s atmosphere and the leader arriving in the Pacific Ocean Eugene CernanCommand module pilot Ronald Evans Lunar module pilot Harrison Schmidtcrew members Apollo 17 mission.
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The success of the last manned mission to the moon was resounding. The astronauts landed in an area Taurus LitroIt is an area of great geological importance, and they conducted three spacewalks in which they collected more than 110 kg of lunar samples, providing invaluable information about the formation and evolution of the Moon.
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These samples include a wide range of rocks and soils, including… AnorthoclaseAluminum-rich igneous rocks formed as a result of cooling and solidification Lunar magma Millions of years ago.
With the Apollo 17 mission, many records were broken, such as being the first to include a scientist on its crew. Harrison Schmidt was a geologist who had studied the Moon for many years, and his presence on the mission allowed for a more detailed and comprehensive geological exploration of the Moon’s surface. Commander Cernan will be the last person to walk on this surface, on December 13, 1972, leaving the last mark among the twelve humans who have set foot on lunar soil since the first time, in 1969.
The end of one era marked the beginning of a new era in which humans focused on the lower orbits. Having managed to reach distances of up to 400,000 km from Earth during the Apollo missions, Earthlings in the past half century have not traveled further than the distance between Bogotá and Cúcuta. The most frequent flights into space were International Space StationWhich has received visits from nearly 300 astronauts since 2000.
Today we find ourselves in an exciting time of renaissance in lunar exploration. New projects and programs, both from space agencies and private companies, are reviving interest in the Moon. Sequel to the Apollo program ArtemisNext year, it hopes to return humans to the moon’s orbit, including the first woman and the first African American, and before the end of the decade to return humans to the moon.
This revival of lunar exploration promises not only to repeat Apollo’s achievements, but to go further, establishing a sustainable presence on the Moon and paving the way for future interplanetary missions.
Thanks to advanced technologies and a deeper understanding of our solar system, the next generation of lunar explorers will open a new frontier in space, the door to exploiting natural resources beyond our planet. The plans include manned and unmanned missions, with the aim of Establish a permanent presence on the moon.
During this year, important steps were taken to democratize space, with the Moon as the protagonist. However, some failures, such as Russia’s Luna 25 mission, whose goal was to be the first spacecraft to land on the south pole of an Earth satellite and which collided with its surface, remind us that lunar exploration remains a challenge.
The Moon, which has inspired the human imagination for thousands of years, remains a beacon in our ongoing quest to understand our place in the universe and overcome countless challenges.
Santiago Vargas
PhD in astrophysics
National University Astronomical Observatory
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