FINAL LUNAR EVA · HISTORIC SITE · ROCKS & FOOTPRINTS · DECEMBER 1972

Apollo 17. Vintage chromogenic print, red numbered AS17-146-22417, taken by astronaut Gene Cernan on 13 December 1972. NASA, 1972. Chromogenic print on fibre-based Kodak paper. Size: 25.5 × 20.3 cm (10 × 8 in).

Physical Description

• Print Type: Vintage chromogenic colour photo on watermarked "A KODAK PAPER".
• NASA ID: AS17-146-22417 – red number in upper left margin.
• Subject: Van Serg Crater rocks with Gene Cernan’s footprints, Apollo 17 EVA 3.
• Size: 25.5 × 20.3 cm including white margins.

Condition Report

• Surface: Clean and crisp with excellent tonal contrast.
• Margins: Slight handling or edge toning; no tears, bends. Small area pale discolouration to tip of top right corner in margin
• Overall: Very Good — a well-preserved and original Apollo-era print.

Context & Importance

This official NASA photograph was taken by Gene Cernan during the final EVA of the Apollo program — the last footsteps of humankind on the Moon. Captured inside Van Serg Crater, this image shows rock formations and Cernan’s own footprints, along with a portion of NASA instrumentation in the lower left corner.

Station 9 was the final planned site of geological study on the Moon. During this EVA, Cernan and Schmitt collected 66 kg of samples. Just hours later, they would depart the surface for good.

The print’s red-numbered designation and fibre-based Kodak stock confirm its vintage authenticity. These photos were distributed to press and institutional archives shortly after mission completion and are now highly collectible.

Quote from the Mission

“I'm on the surface; and, as I take man's last step... back home for some time to come... I believe history will record that America's challenge of today has forged man's destiny of tomorrow. We leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return: with peace and hope for all mankind.” — Gene Cernan, Apollo 17

Why Collect This Photograph?

• Historic final EVA – Cernan’s last moonwalk.
• Original red-numbered NASA print – not a later reproduction.
• Exceptional composition – footprints, scientific gear, and dramatic shadows.
• Verified vintage NASA paper with fibre base and watermark.

A compelling relic of Apollo 17’s lunar science legacy and the final moments of human exploration on the Moon — preserved in photographic form by the last man to walk its surface.