Eugene Andrew Cernan
Encyclopedia
Eugene Andrew Cernan (born March 14, 1934) is a retired United States Navy
officer and a former NASA
astronaut
and engineer
. He has been into space three times: as pilot of Gemini 9A
in June 1966; as lunar module pilot of Apollo 10
in May 1969; and as commander of Apollo 17
in December 1972, the final Apollo lunar landing.
On Apollo 17, Cernan became "the last man on the Moon" since he was the last to re-enter the lunar module
Challenger during the mission's third and final extra-vehicular activity
(EVA). (Crewmate Harrison Schmitt
was "the last man to arrive on the Moon", as Cernan left the module first.) Cernan was also a backup crew member for the Gemini 12
, Apollo 7
and Apollo 14
space missions.
father and a Czech
mother, Cernan received his father's name, originally spelled Ondrej Čerňan (ˈondrɛj ˈtʃɛrɲan). He grew up in the towns of Bellwood
and Maywood
, a largely African-American community. He graduated from Proviso East High School
in Maywood, Illinois and Purdue University
, where he became a member of Phi Gamma Delta
, in 1956, with a B.S. in electrical engineering
. He was commissioned into the US Navy through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps at Purdue, and became a Naval Aviator flying jets. He also received a M.S. in aeronautical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School
in 1963.
in October 1963 by NASA to participate in projects Gemini and Apollo.
with Thomas Stafford
, but when the prime crew was killed in a plane crash they became the prime crew. Gemini IX-A encountered a number of problems; the original target vehicle exploded and the planned docking was made impossible by a protective shroud failing to separate on their substitute target vehicle. Cernan performed the second American EVA (only the third ever) but his space suit overheated resulting in a very high heart rate. The crew performed a demonstration of an early rendezvous that would be used in Apollo 10
: the first optical rendezvous; and a lunar orbit abort rendezvous.
on two different occasions (the others being Jim Lovell
and John Young), one of only twelve people to walk on the moon and the only person to have descended toward the Moon in the lunar lander twice (the first was Apollo 10's non-landing mission). Apollo 10 holds the world record for the highest speed attained by any manned vehicle at 39,897 km/h (11.08 km/s or 24,791 mph) during its return from the Moon on May 26, 1969.
While on the Moon during Apollo 17, he and his crewmate Harrison Schmitt
performed three EVAs for a total of about 22 hours of exploration. Their first EVA alone was more than three times the length Neil Armstrong
and Buzz Aldrin
spent outside the LM on Apollo 11
. During this time they covered more than 35 km (21.7 mi) using the Lunar Rover
and spent a great deal of time collecting geologic samples that would shed light on the Moon's early history. Cernan piloted the rover on its final sortie, recording a maximum speed of 11.2 mph (18 km/h), giving him the (unofficial) lunar land speed record
.
As Cernan prepared to climb the ladder for the final time, he spoke these words, the last currently spoken by a human standing on the Moon's surface: "Bob
, this is Gene, and I'm on the surface; and, as I take man's last step from the surface, back home for some time to come – but we believe not too long into the future – I'd like to just (say) what I believe history will record. That America's challenge of today has forged man's destiny of tomorrow. And, as we leave the Moon at Taurus–Littrow, we leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind. Godspeed the crew of Apollo 17."
Cernan turned down the opportunity to walk on the Moon eight months earlier as lunar module pilot of Apollo 16
, preferring to risk missing a flight altogether for the opportunity to command his own mission. He was publicly critical of the decision by NASA to send a scientist—Schmitt—to the Moon, a decision that meant that original lunar module pilot, Joe Engle, never got to walk on the Moon. However, in Cernan's words, Schmidt proved a capable LM pilot.
Cernan's distinction as the last person to walk on the moon meant that Purdue University would hold the distinction of being the alma mater of both the first person to walk on the Moon (Neil Armstrong
) and the last.
) and from NASA, and went into private business.
In 1999, he co-authored The Last Man on the Moon with Don Davis. The book contains his memoirs of his career both with NASA and before. He has also been featured in space exploration documentaries, such as In the Shadow of the Moon
, in which he stated: "Truth needs no defense" and "Nobody can take those footsteps I made on the surface of the moon away from me." Cernan also contributed to the book
of the same name.
Cernan also at one time was a contributor to ABC News
and its Good Morning America
morning show.
On May 13, 2010, Cernan and Neil Armstrong
testified before Congress in opposition to President Barack Obama
's cancellation of the Constellation program; initiated during the Bush administration as part of the Vision for Space Exploration
to return humans to the Moon and later to Mars
, but was deemed underfunded and unsustainable by the Augustine Commission
in 2009.
.
His recollections were the basis of the song "Moon Rider", written by Paul and Ralph Colwell and Herbert Allen, performed by Up With People
.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
officer and a former NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
astronaut
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
and engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
. He has been into space three times: as pilot of Gemini 9A
Gemini 9A
- Backup crew :- Original primary crew :- Mission parameters :* Mass: * Perigee: * Apogee: * Inclination: 28.91°* Period: 88.78 min- 1st rendezvous :* June 3, 1966 - 17:45 - 18:00 UTC- Spacewalk :* Cernan...
in June 1966; as lunar module pilot of Apollo 10
Apollo 10
Apollo 10 was the fourth manned mission in the American Apollo space program. It was an F type mission—its purpose was to be a "dry run" for the Apollo 11 mission, testing all of the procedures and components of a Moon landing without actually landing on the Moon itself. The mission included the...
in May 1969; and as commander of Apollo 17
Apollo 17
Apollo 17 was the eleventh and final manned mission in the American Apollo space program. Launched at 12:33 a.m. EST on December 7, 1972, with a three-member crew consisting of Commander Eugene Cernan, Command Module Pilot Ronald Evans, and Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt, Apollo 17 remains the...
in December 1972, the final Apollo lunar landing.
On Apollo 17, Cernan became "the last man on the Moon" since he was the last to re-enter the lunar module
Apollo Lunar Module
The Apollo Lunar Module was the lander portion of the Apollo spacecraft built for the US Apollo program by Grumman to carry a crew of two from lunar orbit to the surface and back...
Challenger during the mission's third and final extra-vehicular activity
Extra-vehicular activity
Extra-vehicular activity is work done by an astronaut away from the Earth, and outside of a spacecraft. The term most commonly applies to an EVA made outside a craft orbiting Earth , but also applies to an EVA made on the surface of the Moon...
(EVA). (Crewmate Harrison Schmitt
Harrison Schmitt
Harrison Hagan "Jack" Schmitt is an American geologist, a retired NASA astronaut, university professor, and a former U.S. senator from New Mexico....
was "the last man to arrive on the Moon", as Cernan left the module first.) Cernan was also a backup crew member for the Gemini 12
Gemini 12
-Backup crew:-Mission parameters:*Mass: *Perigee: *Apogee: *Inclination: 28.87°*Period: 88.87 min-Docking:*Docked: November 12, 1966 - 01:06:00 UTC*Undocked: November 13, 1966 - 20:18:00 UTC-Space walk:...
, Apollo 7
Apollo 7
Apollo 7 was the first manned mission in the American Apollo space program, and the first manned US space flight after a cabin fire killed the crew of what was to have been the first manned mission, AS-204 , during a launch pad test in 1967...
and Apollo 14
Apollo 14
Apollo 14 was the eighth manned mission in the American Apollo program, and the third to land on the Moon. It was the last of the "H missions", targeted landings with two-day stays on the Moon with two lunar EVAs, or moonwalks....
space missions.
Early years
A native of Chicago, Illinois, son of a SlovakSlovaks
The Slovaks, Slovak people, or Slovakians are a West Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is closely related to the Czech language.Most Slovaks today live within the borders of the independent Slovakia...
father and a Czech
Czech people
Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...
mother, Cernan received his father's name, originally spelled Ondrej Čerňan (ˈondrɛj ˈtʃɛrɲan). He grew up in the towns of Bellwood
Bellwood, Illinois
Bellwood is a village in Proviso Township, Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 20,535 at the 2000 census.There is a railroad station with commuter service to Chicago.-Geography:Bellwood is located at ....
and Maywood
Maywood, Illinois
Maywood is a village in Proviso Township, Cook County, Illinois, United States. It was founded on April 6, 1869 and organized October 22, 1881. The population was 26,987 at the 2000 census.-Overview:...
, a largely African-American community. He graduated from Proviso East High School
Proviso East High School
Proviso East High School is a public secondary school in Maywood, Illinois which serves the educational needs of Maywood and three other villages within Proviso Township, Cook County, Illinois: Broadview, Forest Park and Melrose Park. It is the original campus of Proviso Township High Schools...
in Maywood, Illinois and Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
, where he became a member of Phi Gamma Delta
Phi Gamma Delta
The international fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta is a collegiate social fraternity with 120 chapters and 18 colonies across the United States and Canada. It was founded at Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, in 1848, and its headquarters are located in Lexington, Kentucky, USA...
, in 1956, with a B.S. in electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
. He was commissioned into the US Navy through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps at Purdue, and became a Naval Aviator flying jets. He also received a M.S. in aeronautical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School
Naval Postgraduate School
The Naval Postgraduate School is an accredited research university operated by the United States Navy. Located in Monterey, California, it grants master's degrees, Engineer's degrees and doctoral degrees...
in 1963.
NASA career
Cernan was selected among the third group of NASA astronautsAstronaut Group 3
Astronaut Group 3 was the third group of astronauts selected by NASA. Their selection was announced in October 1963. Fourteen astronauts made up Group 3. Four died in training accidents before they could fly in space. All of the surviving ten flew in the Apollo program; five also flew Gemini...
in October 1963 by NASA to participate in projects Gemini and Apollo.
Project Gemini
Cernan was originally selected as back-up pilot for Gemini IXGemini 9A
- Backup crew :- Original primary crew :- Mission parameters :* Mass: * Perigee: * Apogee: * Inclination: 28.91°* Period: 88.78 min- 1st rendezvous :* June 3, 1966 - 17:45 - 18:00 UTC- Spacewalk :* Cernan...
with Thomas Stafford
Thomas Patten Stafford
Thomas Patten Stafford is a retired American Air Force lieutenant general and former NASA astronaut. He flew aboard two Gemini space flights; and in 1969 was the commander of Apollo 10, the second manned mission to orbit the Moon and the first to fly a lunar module there.In 1975, Stafford was...
, but when the prime crew was killed in a plane crash they became the prime crew. Gemini IX-A encountered a number of problems; the original target vehicle exploded and the planned docking was made impossible by a protective shroud failing to separate on their substitute target vehicle. Cernan performed the second American EVA (only the third ever) but his space suit overheated resulting in a very high heart rate. The crew performed a demonstration of an early rendezvous that would be used in Apollo 10
Apollo 10
Apollo 10 was the fourth manned mission in the American Apollo space program. It was an F type mission—its purpose was to be a "dry run" for the Apollo 11 mission, testing all of the procedures and components of a Moon landing without actually landing on the Moon itself. The mission included the...
: the first optical rendezvous; and a lunar orbit abort rendezvous.
Apollo Program
Cernan is one of only three humans to voyage to the MoonMoon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
on two different occasions (the others being Jim Lovell
Jim Lovell
James "Jim" Arthur Lovell, Jr., is a former NASA astronaut and a retired captain in the United States Navy, most famous as the commander of the Apollo 13 mission, which suffered a critical failure en route to the Moon but was brought back safely to Earth by the efforts of the crew and mission...
and John Young), one of only twelve people to walk on the moon and the only person to have descended toward the Moon in the lunar lander twice (the first was Apollo 10's non-landing mission). Apollo 10 holds the world record for the highest speed attained by any manned vehicle at 39,897 km/h (11.08 km/s or 24,791 mph) during its return from the Moon on May 26, 1969.
Harrison Schmitt
Harrison Hagan "Jack" Schmitt is an American geologist, a retired NASA astronaut, university professor, and a former U.S. senator from New Mexico....
performed three EVAs for a total of about 22 hours of exploration. Their first EVA alone was more than three times the length Neil Armstrong
Neil Armstrong
Neil Alden Armstrong is an American former astronaut, test pilot, aerospace engineer, university professor, United States Naval Aviator, and the first person to set foot upon the Moon....
and Buzz Aldrin
Buzz Aldrin
Buzz Aldrin is an American mechanical engineer, retired United States Air Force pilot and astronaut who was the Lunar Module pilot on Apollo 11, the first manned lunar landing in history...
spent outside the LM on Apollo 11
Apollo 11
In early 1969, Bill Anders accepted a job with the National Space Council effective in August 1969 and announced his retirement as an astronaut. At that point Ken Mattingly was moved from the support crew into parallel training with Anders as backup Command Module Pilot in case Apollo 11 was...
. During this time they covered more than 35 km (21.7 mi) using the Lunar Rover
Lunar rover
The Lunar Roving Vehicle or lunar rover was a battery-powered four-wheeled rover used on the Moon in the last three missions of the American Apollo program during 1971 and 1972...
and spent a great deal of time collecting geologic samples that would shed light on the Moon's early history. Cernan piloted the rover on its final sortie, recording a maximum speed of 11.2 mph (18 km/h), giving him the (unofficial) lunar land speed record
Land speed record
The land speed record is the highest speed achieved by a wheeled vehicle on land. There is no single body for validation and regulation; in practice the Category C flying start regulations are used, officiated by regional or national organizations under the auspices of the Fédération...
.
As Cernan prepared to climb the ladder for the final time, he spoke these words, the last currently spoken by a human standing on the Moon's surface: "Bob
Robert A. Parker
Robert Allan Ridley Parker is the former director of the NASA Management Office at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and a retired NASA astronaut...
, this is Gene, and I'm on the surface; and, as I take man's last step from the surface, back home for some time to come – but we believe not too long into the future – I'd like to just (say) what I believe history will record. That America's challenge of today has forged man's destiny of tomorrow. And, as we leave the Moon at Taurus–Littrow, we leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind. Godspeed the crew of Apollo 17."
Cernan turned down the opportunity to walk on the Moon eight months earlier as lunar module pilot of Apollo 16
Apollo 16
Young and Duke served as the backup crew for Apollo 13; Mattingly was slated to be the Apollo 13 command module pilot until being pulled from the mission due to his exposure to rubella through Duke.-Backup crew:...
, preferring to risk missing a flight altogether for the opportunity to command his own mission. He was publicly critical of the decision by NASA to send a scientist—Schmitt—to the Moon, a decision that meant that original lunar module pilot, Joe Engle, never got to walk on the Moon. However, in Cernan's words, Schmidt proved a capable LM pilot.
Cernan's distinction as the last person to walk on the moon meant that Purdue University would hold the distinction of being the alma mater of both the first person to walk on the Moon (Neil Armstrong
Neil Armstrong
Neil Alden Armstrong is an American former astronaut, test pilot, aerospace engineer, university professor, United States Naval Aviator, and the first person to set foot upon the Moon....
) and the last.
Post-NASA
In 1976, Cernan retired both from the Navy (as a captainCaptain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
) and from NASA, and went into private business.
In 1999, he co-authored The Last Man on the Moon with Don Davis. The book contains his memoirs of his career both with NASA and before. He has also been featured in space exploration documentaries, such as In the Shadow of the Moon
In the Shadow of the Moon
In the Shadow of the Moon is a 2006 British documentary film about the United States' manned missions to the Moon. It premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the World Cinema Audience Award. In March 2008, it was the first film to win the Sir Arthur Clarke Award for Best Film...
, in which he stated: "Truth needs no defense" and "Nobody can take those footsteps I made on the surface of the moon away from me." Cernan also contributed to the book
In the Shadow of the Moon (book)
In the Shadow of the Moon: A Challenging Journey to Tranquility is a 2007 non-fiction book by space historians Francis French and Colin Burgess...
of the same name.
Cernan also at one time was a contributor to ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
and its Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
morning show.
On May 13, 2010, Cernan and Neil Armstrong
Neil Armstrong
Neil Alden Armstrong is an American former astronaut, test pilot, aerospace engineer, university professor, United States Naval Aviator, and the first person to set foot upon the Moon....
testified before Congress in opposition to President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's cancellation of the Constellation program; initiated during the Bush administration as part of the Vision for Space Exploration
Vision for Space Exploration
The Vision for Space Exploration is the United States space policy which was announced on January 14, 2004 by President George W. Bush. It is seen as a response to the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, the state of human spaceflight at NASA, and a way to regain public enthusiasm for space...
to return humans to the Moon and later to Mars
Manned mission to Mars
A manned mission to Mars has been the subject of science fiction, engineering, and scientific proposals throughout the 20th century and into the 21st century...
, but was deemed underfunded and unsustainable by the Augustine Commission
Review of United States Human Space Flight Plans Committee
The Review of United States Human Space Flight Plans Committee was a group reviewing the human spaceflight plans of the United States...
in 2009.
In popular culture
Cernan was featured in the Discovery Channel's documentary miniseries When We Left Earth, providing narrative on his involvement and missions as an astronaut. In the 1998 miniseries From the Earth to the Moon, he was portrayed by Daniel Hugh KellyDaniel Hugh Kelly
Daniel Hugh Kelly is an American stage, film and television actor. He may be best known for his role on the 1980s ABC TV series Hardcastle and McCormick from 1983-1986 for which he also wrote and directed...
.
His recollections were the basis of the song "Moon Rider", written by Paul and Ralph Colwell and Herbert Allen, performed by Up With People
Up with People
Up with People is an international education organization founded in 1968 by J. Blanton Belk, building from roots in the similar "Sing-Out" program of 1965. Up With People is best known for their musical performances by international casts consisting of 70–100 students from, on average, 20...
.
Gallery
See also
- Cernan Earth and Space CenterCernan Earth and Space CenterThe Cernan Earth and Space Center is a public planetarium on the campus of Triton College in the Chicago suburb of River Grove. It is named for astronaut Eugene Cernan, who flew aboard the Gemini 9 and Apollo 10 missions and, as commander of Apollo 17, was the last astronaut to leave his footprints...
, a public planetarium on the campus of Triton CollegeTriton CollegeTriton College is a two-year community college located in River Grove, Illinois, a suburb northwest of downtown Chicago. Triton College facilitates accredited degrees, career-oriented learning opportunities, and English as a second language and GED classes.Over 17,000 students enroll at Triton...
in River Grove, Illinois named in Cernan's honor.
External links
- The Official Website of Capt. Eugene Cernan
- Biographical data from US National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Last Man on the Moon
- Gene Cernan flies the Windows-based "Eagle Lander 3D" Simulator
- Eugene Cernan interview on The Sky at Night (BBC, 29 min, RealPlayer)
- Check-Six.com - The 1971 Crash of Gene Cernan's Helo