623 a
“These three astronauts are the prime crew members of the Apollo 17 lunar landing mission.
They are Eugene A. Cernan (seated), Commander; Ronald E. Evans (standing on right), Command Module Pilot; and Harrison H. Schmitt, Lunar Module Pilot. They are photographed with a Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) trainer. Cernan and Schmitt will use an LRV during their exploration of the Taurus-Littrow landing site. The Apollo 17 Saturn V space vehicle is in the background. This picture was taken at Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida. The Apollo 17 insignia is in the photo insert at upper left. The insignia, designed by artist Robert T. McCall in collaboration with the crewmen, is dominated by the image of Apollo, the Greek Sun God” (original NASA caption for S-72-50438).

623 b
“A ground-level view at Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, showing the Apollo
17 (Spacecraft 114/Lunar Module 12/Saturn 512) space vehicle arriving at the pad. The Saturn V stack and its mobile launch tower were moved from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the pad atop a huge crawler-transporter” (original NASA caption for S-72-48728).

623 c
“Scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt, Lunar Module Pilot of the Apollo 17 lunar landing mission, procures a geological hand tool from the tool carrier at the aft end of the Lunar Roving Vehicle during lunar surface extravehicular activity simulation training at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida. Schmitt grasps a scoop with extension handle in his right hand“ (NASA caption).

“The last of the lunar landing missions was famous for including among its crew the first scientist launched by NASA. Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt made full use of his PhD in
geology before he learned how to fly jet planes so that he could be accepted in the astronaut team. His Apollo colleagues began their space careers much more interested in rockets than rocks, but as their preparations for the Moon got underway, all of them fell under the spell of the dramatic narratives that boulders, mountains, craters, and rilles could reveal, if only they recognized the clues” (Bizony, p.169).

623 d
The first photograph was taken in the Lunar Module simulator at the Flight Crew Training Building; the second and third during simulations of lunar surface activities; the fourth during an altitude chamber test to verify onboard systems of the LM.

623 e
Evans during a test of the Command Module spacecraft in a spaceport vacuum chamber; practicing retrieving film canisters outside the spacecraft during “water” and “parabolic aircraft”
simulated deep space EVA exercices; studying Apollo and Lunar Orbiter photographs featuring
Crater Copernicus during a lunar orbital science briefing with Bellcom geologist Farouk El Baz.

623 f
Cernan and Evans affix their mission’s insignia to their jet aircrafts during flight training at Patrick Air Force Base while Schmitt is pictured in the cockpit of his T-38 jet aircraft.

623 g
An artist’s concept by MSC artist Jerry Elmore (original NASA caption for S-72-49760) illustrating the topographical layout of the Taurus-Littrow landing site of the Apollo 17 lunar landing mission.
The Lunar Module touchdown point is in the center of the smooth area in the middle of the picture. The imposing mountain in the center is South Massif. A portion of North Massif is in the
lower right corner of the photograph. Note the ridge-like feature extending from South Massif to North Massif. The southern portion of the ridge is called Lee Scarp and the northerly portion Lincoln Scarp.

The artist’s concept indicates the three planned geological traverses and the stations to be visited at Taurus-Littrow.