APOLLO 17 SURFACE OPERATIONS OVERVIEW
Video Clip of Surface Operations (1.0MB in AVI format)
During their 75 hours on the Moon, the Apollo 17 crew conducted three extravehicular activities (EVAs) totaling 22 hours on the lunar surface. These EVAs included lunar rover traverses totaling 36 kilometers, collection of lunar samples at 22 locations in the Taurus-Littrow Valley, deployment or performance of 10 science experiments, and examination and photography of the lunar surface. The following map of the landing area shows where these activities took place.
Apollo 17 Traverse Map
First Extravehicular Activity
During the first EVA, the lunar rover and the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package were deployed. Lunar samples, including a deep core tube, were collected in the vicinity of the lunar module, and a brief, 3.5-kilometer geologic traverse was made. Some difficulties in deploying the experiments package were addressed by shortening the planned geologic traverse. The EVA lasted 7 hours and 12 minutes.
Second Extravehicular Activity
The second EVA was a 20.4-kilometer geologic traverse to regions south and west of the landing site. Four major sampling stops were made, along with eight minor sampling stops. At the end of the EVA, some time was spent trying to solve a problem with the Lunar Surface Gravimeter. The EVA lasted 7 hours and 37 minutes.
Third Extravehicular Activity
The primary goal of the third EVA was a 12.1-kilometer geologic traverse to regions north and east of the landing site. Four major sampling stops were made, along with four minor sampling stops. Results from several experiments were also recovered for return to Earth. The EVA lasted 7 hours and 15 minutes.
Apollo Lunar Surface Journal - Apollo 17 Mission
This link connects to transcripts of the radio transmissions of the Apollo 17 astronauts during their time on the lunar surface. Located at NASA Headquarters, the transcripts are the work of Eric Jones, who has added explanatory notes and comments from the astronauts.
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