Apollo 17 shipboard reception. Footage from various angles of the arrival of the Apollo 17 astronauts on board the recovery ship USS Ticonderoga after splashdown in the southern Pacific Ocean on 19 December 1972. The three NASA astronauts (Eugene Cernan, Ron Evans and Harrison Schmitt) were returning from their lunar mission, where Cernan and Schmitt had been the last humans to walk on the Moon in what was the final Apollo mission. Splashdown occurred at 19:24 UTC. The astronauts were retrieved by rescue helicopter and were on board the USS Ticonderoga 52 minutes later. Walking from the helicopter, they are led by mission commander Cernan, followed by geologist Schmitt, with Evans at the rear. They were greeted by admirals, senators, congressmen and other dignitaries, as well as the Honor and Color Guards of the Ticonderoga Marine Detachment. |