Image of Earth by Apollo 17

The Earth as seen by the Apollo 17 crew traveling toward the moon (on the right with additional text, click to enlarge). This translunar coast photograph extends from the Mediterranean Sea area to the Antarctica south polar ice cap. This is the first time the Apollo trajectory made it possible to photograph the south polar ice cap (NASA - December 7, 1972).

The Apollo 17 mission of December 1972 was the last manned Apollo mission to the Moon. It was the only one to include a professional geologist (Harrison Schmitt) on the crew. Schmitt spent more time on the lunar surface (75 hours) than any other mission and conducted the most extensive exploration of the program, using the Lunar Roving Vehicle. This mission marked the end of manned lunar exploration in the 20th century and the final human landing on the Moon, an event that is inspiring new missions, such as the Artemis program.