608 a
John Young

Charles Duke brushing off the battery mirror of the Lunar Rover

Apollo 16, April 16-27, 1972, EVA 3, 170:42:13 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 AS16-116-18717” in red in top margin (NASA MSC)

608 b
Taken by the RCA TV camera mounted on the Lunar Rover and operated by Ed Fendell at Mission Control

TV picture of the LM Orion just before liftoff from the Moon

Apollo 16, April 16-27, 1972, EVA 3

Unpublished photograph, vintage gelatin silver print on fiber-based paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), stamped “RCA Astro Electronics 72-4-608” on the verso (NASA / RCA)

608 c
Taken by the RCA TV camera mounted on the Lunar Rover and operated by Ed Fendell at Mission Control

The ascent stage of the LM Orion lifting off from the lunar surface

Apollo 16, April 16-27, 1972, EVA 3, 175:31:49 GET

Vintage chromogenic print on resin coated Kodak paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with “A Kodak Paper” watermarks on the verso [NASA S-72-35613]
20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in)

608 c
Light, plate 102.

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Lot Essay

608 a
Before getting back to the LM for launch, the crew dusted the Lunar Rover parked at the VIP site to avoid TV and communications gear overheat and make sure the TV camera was powered to capture Orion’s liftoff.

170:39:43 Duke: Okay. The top and the driver’s side is dusted. The left battery’s dusted. I’m going to dust the LCRU (Lunar Communications Relay Unit). (Long Pause)
170:40:12 England (Mission Control): And, Charlie, after dusting the LCRU there, you’ll have to tear off one of those thermal blankets and put it over the control panel on the LCRU. [...]
170:41:01 Young: Do you want a picture of it, don’t you, Houston?
170:41:04 England: Yeah, it’d be a good idea. [...]
170:41:21 Young: You know, we sure hope you guys have enjoyed watching this as much as we’ve enjoyed doing it. If there’s one thing that’s a real pleasure; it’s this (one-sixth-) gravity environment. [...]
170:42:13 Duke: Super. I got one more battery to go.

608 b
A B&W reproduction of a color TV transmission from the Rover parked at the VIP site with the RCA camera pointed to Orion so that viewers on Earth could watch the launch of the ascent stage of the LM from the lunar surface.

From the mission transcript on the way back to Earth:

203:11:45 Duke: Man, I tell you. That ascent engine coming on, you - you - it was a real - It wasn’t what I expected, anyway. At ignition, there, it seems like it sort of sits a little bit, then it grabs you and, boy, off you go! And it takes you a while - at least, it did for me - to get my eyeballs uncaged. And we were - then all I saw out the window was the MESA (Modular
Equipment Stowage Assembly) blanket; then we were back on the gages.
203 12 15 Peterson (Mission Control): Roger. It looked like you lifted out of there pretty rapidly.

608 c
This still color picture is a reproduction taken from the color TV transmission made by the RCA camera mounted on the Lunar Rover.

“In a spray of rocket exhaust and foil insulation, the ascent stage of Lunar Module Orion lifts off to begin the ride back to lunar orbit” (Light, plate 102).

175:31:42 Young: Engine Arm to Ascent.
175:31:44 Duke: Pro. She took. Stand by; 3, 2, 1 ...
175:31:49 Duke: Lift-Off. There we go! [...]
175:32:00 Duke: Pitchover. Pitchover is on time.
175:32:02 Irwin (Mission Control): Roger. We saw lift-off (on the Rover TV).
175:32:05 Young: Okay; she’s right on.
175:32:06 Duke: What a ride! What a ride! [...]
175:32:19 Duke: Lot more wallowing than I thought (there would be).
175:32:21 Young: Yeah.