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The ‘Last Man on the Moon’ hopes one day soon people will return there The last man on the moon hopes one day soon people will return there
(2 days later)
The space cowboy with the silver hair had a glimmer in his eye. He was standing in the present, earthbound inside a suburban elementary school gymnasium packed with 600 children. But in his mind, Eugene Cernan was floating back four decades and 250,000 miles away, to the silty crust of the moon during his time as a NASA astronaut on the 17th and final Apollo mission. The space cowboy with the silver hair had a glimmer in his eye. He was standing in the present, earthbound inside a suburban elementary school gymnasium packed with 600 children. But in his mind, Eugene Cernan was floating back four decades and 240,000 miles away, to the silty crust of the moon during his time as a NASA astronaut on the 17th and final Apollo mission.
“We were then as far as we could go into the sky, into the heavens,” Cernan told the students. “The sky is full of stars. But it’s dark. It’s blackness and the Earth ... ” His voice drifted as he ended mid-thought. “I think back and was it really a dream? Or did it really happen?” “We were then as far as we could go into the sky, into the heavens,” Cernan told the students. “The sky is full of stars. But it’s dark. It’s blackness and the Earth . . .” His voice drifted as he ended mid-thought. “I think back and was it really a dream? Or did it really happen?”
For three days in December 1972, Cernan charted escarpments and craters in the lunar surface. With each buoyant step surrounded by the darkness of space, he enjoyed the light of discovery. For three days in December 1972, Cernan charted escarpments and craters in the lunar surface. With each buoyant step, surrounded by the darkness of space, he enjoyed the light of discovery.
On Dec. 14, 1972 at 5:40:56 a.m., when Cernan’s boots pressed a final imprint into the moon dust, he then became the last person in existence to touch its surface. On Dec. 14, 1972, at 5:40:56 a.m., when Cernan’s boots pressed a final imprint into the moon dust, he then became the last person to touch its surface.
“We leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind,” he said as he departed the moon, shortly after he carved his daughter’s initials — TDC — into the ground below.“We leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind,” he said as he departed the moon, shortly after he carved his daughter’s initials — TDC — into the ground below.
As the subject of a new documentary on his life, Cernan spoke at Churchill Road Elementary in Fairfax County on Wednesday, seeking to inspire the 2nd through 6th graders at the assembly to pursue a career in space. As the subject of a new documentary on his life, Cernan spoke at Churchill Road Elementary School in Fairfax County on Wednesday, seeking to inspire the students, in grades 2 to 6, at the assembly to pursue a career in space.
“I’m right now the last man on the moon, but I’m not going to stay the last man on the moon because one of you out there is going to be the next young man on the moon or next young woman on the moon,” Cernan told the children, before describing his unlikely path to stardom.“I’m right now the last man on the moon, but I’m not going to stay the last man on the moon because one of you out there is going to be the next young man on the moon or next young woman on the moon,” Cernan told the children, before describing his unlikely path to stardom.
Cernan’s grandparents were immigrants from eastern Europe and his parents never finished college; he graduated from Purdue University in 1956 with an engineering degree and joined the Navy to become a fighter jet pilot. Cernan’s grandparents were immigrants from eastern Europe, and his parents never finished college; he graduated from Purdue University in 1956 with an engineering degree and joined the Navy to become a fighter-jet pilot.
Then one day he received a call from his Navy superiors, informing him that his application at NASA had advanced to the next phase. That came as a particular surprise to Cernan, since he had never applied. Then one day he received a call from his Navy superiors, informing him that his application at NASA had advanced to the next phase. That came as a particular surprise to Cernan, because he had not applied.
When he arrived in Houston, Cernan walked into a hotel ballroom filled with 400 other candidates, including record-setting test pilots, and said he immediately felt unqualified for the job. When he arrived in Houston, Cernan walked into a hotel ballroom filled with 400 other candidates, including record-setting test pilots. He said he immediately felt unqualified for the job.
“I figured ‘Oh well, at least I’ll get to meet an astronaut,’” Cernan said. “I figured, ‘Oh well, at least I’ll get to meet an astronaut,’ ” Cernan said.
But Cernan made it and began the rigorous astronaut training.But Cernan made it and began the rigorous astronaut training.
“You never get something for nothing — you got to work for it,” Cernan told the students. “Yes, there’s a little risk because we don’t know what we’re going to find over the next mountain or around the next hill. It’s worth it. Don’t turn your back on it. Take a chance.”“You never get something for nothing — you got to work for it,” Cernan told the students. “Yes, there’s a little risk because we don’t know what we’re going to find over the next mountain or around the next hill. It’s worth it. Don’t turn your back on it. Take a chance.”
Cernan took part in three space missions. On Gemini 9 in 1966, Cernan became the second American to perform a spacewalk, floating for two hours and 10 minutes outside of his ship. In 1969, he joined Apollo 10 on a crucial mission to test the feasibility of landing on the moon, even descending to within eight nautical miles of the surface in the lunar vehicle before returning to Earth. Cernan took part in three space missions. On Gemini 9 in 1966, Cernan became the second American to perform a spacewalk, floating for 2 hours 10 minutes outside of his ship. In 1969, he joined Apollo 10 on a crucial mission to test the feasibility of landing on the moon, even descending to within eight nautical miles of the surface in the lunar vehicle before returning to Earth.
Then just after midnight on Dec. 7, 1972, Cernan, along with astronauts Harrison H. Schmitt and Ronald E. Evans, blasted off from launchpad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a Saturn V rocket. The mission marked the first nighttime launch of a manned rocket and the “night lit up from without,” Cernan said. Then just after midnight on Dec. 7, 1972, Cernan, along with astronauts Harrison H. Schmitt and Ronald E. Evans, blasted off from Launchpad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a Saturn V rocket. The mission marked the first nighttime launch of a manned rocket and the “night lit up from without,” Cernan said.
As the crew sped to 25,000 miles per hour on their way to the moon, Cernan prepared for what was in essence a three-day camping trip with limited supplies. As the crew sped to 25,000 mph on its way to the moon, Cernan prepared for what was in essence a three-day camping trip with limited supplies.
“Was the food very good?” Cernan said. “It wasn’t my grandma’s chicken and dumplings.”“Was the food very good?” Cernan said. “It wasn’t my grandma’s chicken and dumplings.”
While Evans remained in lunar orbit in the command module, Cernan and Schmitt stayed for 73 hours on the moon, including 22 hours and six minutes carrying out experiments on the surface — a NASA record. While Evans remained in lunar orbit in the command module, Cernan and Schmitt stayed for 73 hours on the moon, including 22 hours 6 minutes carrying out experiments on the surface, a NASA record.
When Cernan and Schmitt later docked their lunar vehicle with the command module, the astronauts knocked on the hatch that joined the spacecrafts. After spending three days alone orbiting the moon, Evans replied from the other side: “Who’s that?”When Cernan and Schmitt later docked their lunar vehicle with the command module, the astronauts knocked on the hatch that joined the spacecrafts. After spending three days alone orbiting the moon, Evans replied from the other side: “Who’s that?”
Cernan told the students that he hopes one day humans will return to the moon, and go beyond it. Cernan told the students that he hopes one day humans will return to the moon and go beyond it.
As parting wisdom, Cernan told a story of how he broke the lunar rover the astronauts used to shuttle heavy moon rocks. As parting wisdom, Cernan told a story of how he broke the lunar rover that the astronauts used to shuttle heavy moon rocks.
“Only guy within 250,000 miles of another vehicle and I knocked a fender off,” Cernan said. “Only guy within 250,000 miles of another vehicle, and I knocked a fender off,” Cernan said.
To fix the buggy, Cernan fashioned spare geological maps into a makeshift wheel cover and kept the new part in place using duct tape.To fix the buggy, Cernan fashioned spare geological maps into a makeshift wheel cover and kept the new part in place using duct tape.
“So when you go to Mars,” Cernan told the children, “don’t leave home without duct tape.”“So when you go to Mars,” Cernan told the children, “don’t leave home without duct tape.”
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