682 a
Ronald Evans

The Lunar Module Challenger station keeping with the Command Module America in lunar orbit

Apollo 17, December 7-19, 1972, orbit 52, 189:47:33 GET

Unreleased photograph, vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based Kodak paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with “A Kodak Paper” watermarks on the verso, numbered “NASA AS17-149-22857” (NASA MSC) in red in top margin

682 b
Eugene Cernan or Harrison Schmitt

The Command Module America before docking with the LM Challenger in lunar orbit

Apollo 17, December 7-19, 1972, orbit 52, 189:55:00 GET

Vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based Kodak paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with “A Kodak Paper” watermarks on the verso, numbered “NASA AS17-145-22254” (NASA MSC) in red in top margin

682 c
Eugene Cernan or Harrison Schmitt

The Command Module America with all five windows facing the Moon

Apollo 17, December 7-19, 1972, orbit 52, 190:02:41 GET

Unreleased photograph, vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based Kodak paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x10in), with “A Kodak Paper” watermarks on the verso, numbered “NASA AS17-145-22271” (NASA MSC) in red in top margin
20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in)

682 b
Chaikin, Space, p. 136; Reynolds, p. 200.

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Lot Essay

682 a
A camera is clearly visible in the LM window.

189:47:33 Evans: The bottom of your vehicle’s got a bunch of tinfoil on it. It’s a little bit scorched; but it’s all intact, as far as - as much as I can tell.
189:47:42 Cernan: ... this bird is good enough to fly again. Yes sir. I’ll even move left, how’s that? Still got 60 percent left ... I like to fly.

682 b
From the LM Challenger, the last men on the Moon Cernan and Schmitt could inspect and photograph the Command Module including its SIM Bay with the 60mm lens before docking for the homeward journey to Earth.
The 33-km Crater Auzout is in the foreground and the 48-km Crater Condorcet P is in the background 110 km below. Latitude / longitude: 11°N 64.5° E.

Eugene Cernan described his feelings: “When we got back in that Command Module, we were home. Never mind that we were in lunar orbit, it was home” (Chaikin, Voices, p. 117).

189:55:00 Mission Control: Challenger, America, that’s good on the inspection from questions from here, anyway. Clear to continue and proceed with docking.
189:55:12 Evans: Okay.

682 c
The golden reflection of the lunar surface and the dark reflection of the black sky of space are clearly visible on the CSM.
The photograph was taken with the 60mm lens looking southeast over the southeastern Sea of Serenity showing the 16-km deep and 1.7 km wide Crater Bessel.
On the lunar horizon, the Taurus Littrow landing site is hidden by the spacecraft.
Latitude / Longitude: 22° N / 22° E.

NASA released a variant of this photograph (NASA AS17-145-22271).

190:02:20 Cernan (Challenger): And that’s the landing site down there. We pitched right through
the landing site.
190:02:25 Evans (America): You did?
190:02:25 Cernan (Challenger): Yes.
190:02:27 Evans (America): Key, good (laughter). Your - -
190:02:31 Cernan (Challenger): Hey, don’t - don’t hit that hand. It’s ...
190:02:33 Schmitt (Challenger): Yes (laughter). Well, the drogue is still in there.
190:02:41 Cernan (Challenger): Okay. I’ve got you right out the overhead, Ron, now I’m going to yaw.
190:02:43 Evans (America): Okay, yaw her around.
190:02:47 Cernan (Challenger): Okay, here we go. What a super flying machine!
190:02:59 Evans (America): Still looks kind of tinny to me.
190:03:13 Cernan (Challenger): He’s not going to have to do anything but thrust right into the - I might even get your roll angle zeroed for you by - by this maneuver. Okay, it’s all yours.
190:03:22 Evans (America): (Laughter) Okay, I’ve got her.
190:03:23 Cernan (Challenger): Should be looking - I’m looking right up your window.