Apollo 17 First Extravehicular Activity
The Apollo 17 Lunar Module
Astronaut Eugene Cernan, Apollo 17 mission commander, checks the lunar rover during the early part of the first extravehicular activity (EVA). The lunar module is in the background. This photo of the "stripped down" rover was taken prior to equipment loading.
The First Extravehicular Activity
The first lunar surface EVA began at 6:54 p.m. EST on December 11. Television coverage began after the installation of the ground-controlled television camera and the high-gain antenna on the lunar rover. Extra time was required for deploying the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package. As a result, the first geological traverse was shortened to 3.5 kilometers, with a stop near the rim of Steno Crater south of the landing site. The EVA lasted 7 hours and 12 minutes, ending at 2:06 a.m. EST on December 12.
Activities at the Lunar Module Site
Testing the Rover
Deployment of the lunar rover on this mission was accomplished with only minor difficulties. The lunar rover performed well throughout the mission; however, the right rear fender was accidentally knocked off during the first EVA and had to be repaired at the start of the second EVA.
Deploying the TV camera
As with all of the missions using a rover, the TV camera for this mission was mounted on the rover itself. This enabled the camera to transmit live coverage of lunar surface activities wherever the astronauts went, not just in the immediate area of the landing site. The antenna mounted on the rover transmitted the coverage and also allowed the camera to be controlled from Earth.
Flag Deployment
Astronaut Eugene Cernan, Apollo 17 commander, salutes the deployed U.S. flag on the lunar surface during the first EVA.
Lunar Surface Cosmic Ray Experiment Deployment
The Lunar Surface Cosmic Ray Experiment was deployed on the lunar module during the first EVA. It was retrieved on the third EVA and returned to Earth.
Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package Deployment
The Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) was deployed approximately 185 meters west-northwest of the lunar module. The experiments on this mission were the Lunar Seismic Profiling Experiment, the Heat Flow Experiment, the Lunar Surface Gravimeter Experiment, the Lunar Ejecta and Meteorites Experiment, and the Lunar Atmospheric Composition Experiment. A deep core sample and a Traverse Gravimeter Experiment measurement were also taken during the ALSEP deployment. Deployment went normally for the most part; however, extra time was required to level the central station and antenna and to retrieve the drill cores.
Traverse Gravimeter Experiment
The Traverse Gravimeter Experiment measured the gravitational acceleration at various stops along the traverses relative to the value of the gravitational acceleration at the landing site. These measurements were made in order to study buried geological structures near the landing site.
The Geologic Traverse
Station 1 - Steno Crater
Station 1 was located about 150 meters from the northwest rim of Steno Crater, in the middle of the Taurus-Littrow Valley. This station was originally planned for Emory Crater, which is southeast of the actual stop and about 2.5 kilometers from the lunar module. However, because of the extra time required for drilling the core holes and deploying the ALSEP experiments, the traverse was shortened to go only as far as Steno Crater. When Steno Crater formed, it would have ejected material from below the surface and deposited it in the surrounding region. The goal of this stop was to collect samples of this subsurface material. Activities at this site included deploying an explosive charge for the Lunar Seismic Profiling Experiment, making a traverse gravimeter measurement, collecting rake samples, and performing panoramic photography.
Surface Electrical Properties Experiment Site
The antennae and transmitter for the Surface Electrical Properties Experiment were deployed about 120 meters east of the lunar module. The crew also gathered samples, performed documentary and panoramic photography, and made a traverse gravimeter measurement at this site.
Other EVA Activities
Additional sampling and photography were performed between the rover deployment and the flag deployment. Five additional traverse gravimeter measurements were taken near the lunar module (three at the beginning of the EVA and two at the end). During the return from Station 1 to the lunar module, a second seismic explosive charge was deployed.
Explosive Package Deployment
During this and the other EVAs, a series of explosive charges that were part of the Lunar Seismic Profiling Experiment were placed on the lunar surface. A total of eight charges were deployed at distances of between 100 meters and 3.5 kilometers from the experiment at the ALSEP site. The charges were detonated after the astronauts left the surface.
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Apollo 17 Table of Contents
Extravehicular Activity 2
Extravehicular Activity 3
Back to Surface Operations Overview
The First Extravehicular Activity
Testing the Rover
Deploying the TV camera
Flag Deployment
Lunar Surface Cosmic Ray Experiment Deployment
Traverse Gravimeter Experiment
Station 1 - Steno Crater
Surface Electrical Properties Experiment Site
Explosive Package Deployment
