Last man on the moon drops in on Pax

(Special to ST. MARY'S TODAY )

PATUXENT RIVER --- Retired Navy Capt. Eugene Cernan, commander of the final manned mission to the moon in 1972, came here Jan. 19-21 and spoke at two safety stand downs as well as touring the station to see how technology has advanced since his time in the service.

During his tour, Cernan saw the Manned Flight Simulator, the Atlantic Range control room and adjacent laboratories before returning to Hangar 306 and boarding a Bombardier Learjet 60 to fly home to Kansas.

At the simulator, Cernan "flew" a V-22 and an F-18. He said he was impressed with the capabilities displayed at the station and that the simulator had much greater fidelity than the ones he has been in before.

At the range, Cernan learned about controlled airspace and how the control room supports and manages projects within the controlled airspace over the Chesapeake Bay. While at the range and before leaving for home, Cernan posed for numerous photos with Pax employees.

"I know well that Pax River is the elite of the elite, and Naval aviation is the elite. That's the reason we've achieved what we have over the years," Cernan said when asked his reaction to Pax. "I regret that I was one of the few in the space program who didn't have the opportunity to come through here."

According to his NASA biography, Cernan received his commission through the Navy ROTC program at Perdue and entered flight training after graduation. He served with Attack Squadrons 26 and 112 at NAS Miramar, Calif., and attended the Naval Postgraduate School.

Cernan has logged more than 5000 hours flying time with more than 4800 hours in jet aircraft and has over 200 aircraft carrier landings.

He was selected by NASA in October 1963 as one of 14 astronauts and has flown three space flights; Gemini IX in June 1966; Apollo 10, May 1969; Apollo 17, December 1972.

During the three-day Gemini IX mission, Cernan logged two hours, 10 minutes outside of the craft, becoming the second American to walk in space.

During his second flight, Cernan was the pilot for Apollo 10's lunar module. During this mission, Apollo 10 never actually landed, but gathered data including photographs and maps of possible landing sites for future missions. The purpose of the flight was to ascertain gravitational conditions and evaluate the possibility of lunar landings.

Cernan's final space flight was Apollo 17, the United States' last manned mission to the moon. This mission established several records for manned space flight including: longest manned lunar landing flight (301 hours 51 minutes); longest lunar surface extravehicular activities (22 hours 6 minutes); largest lunar sample return (an estimated 115 kg (249 lbs.); and longest time in lunar orbit (147 hours 48 minutes).

As commander of the mission, Cernan holds the distinction of being the last man to leave footprints on the moon.

Cernan logged 566 hours and 15 minutes in space, more than 73 hours of which were spent on the lunar surface.

Following his space flights, Cernan took on duties as Special Assistant to the Program manager of the Apollo Spacecraft Program at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Tex. He retired from active duty July 1, 1976, after a military career spanning two decades. Following retirement, Cernan went into private industry.