At 09:15:29 GMT on 12/7/72, the CSM was separated from the SIVB. Approximately 15 min later, the CSM docked with the LM. After CSM/LM extraction from the SIVB, the SIVB was targeted for lunar impact, which occurred on December 10 at 20:32:43 GMT. 

The impact location was approximately 84nm northwest of the planned target point and the event was recorded by the passive seismic experiments deployed on the Apollo-12, Apollo-14, Apollo-15 and Apollo-16 missions.

Only one of the four planned midcourse corrections was required during translunar coast. A mid-course correction made at 17:03:00 GMT on 12/8/72 was a 1.6 sec service propulsion system burn resulting in a 10>:5 ft/sec velocity change. Lunar orbit insertion was accomplished at 19:47:23 GMT on 12/10/72 placing the spacecraft into a lunar orbit of 170nm by 52.6 nm.

Approximately 4hr 20 min later, the orbit was reduced to 59 by 15nm. The spacecraft remained in this low orbit for more than 18 hr, during which time the CSM/LM undocking and separation were performed. The CSM circularization maneuver was performed at 18:50:29 GMT on 12/11/72 which placed the CSM into an orbit of 70.3 by 54.3 nm. AT 14:35:00 GMT on 12/11/72, the Commander and Lunar Module Pilot entered the LM to prepare for descent to the lunar surface. At 18:55:42 GMT on 12/11/72, the LM was placed into an orbit with a perilune altitude of 6.2 nm. 

Approximately 47 min later, the powered descent to the lunar surface began. Landing occurred at 19:54:57 GMT on 12/11/72 at lunar latitude 20 degrees 10min North and longitude 30 degrees 46min East.

Apollo 17 was the last lunar landing mission. 3 EVAs of 22 hours, 04 minutes on the lunar surface. EVA #1 began at 23:54:49 GMT on 12/11/72 with Cernan egressing at 00:01:00 GMT on 12/12/72. The 1st EVA was 7 hr 12 min long and was completed at 07:06:42 GMT on 12/12/72. The second EVA was begun at 23:28:06 GMT on 12/12/72. It lasted 7hr 37min and ended at 07:05:02 GMT on 12/13/72. The final EVA began at 22:25:48 GMT on 12/13/72 and ended at 05:40:56 GMT on 12/14/72.

The LM ascent stage lifted off the moon at 22:54:37 GMT on 12/14/72. After a vernier adjustment maneuver, the ascent stage was inserted into a 48.5nm by 9.4nm orbit. The LM terminal phase initiation burn was made at 23:48:58 GMT on 12/14/72. This 3.2 sec maneuver raised the ascent stage orbit to 64.7 by 48.5 nm. The CSM and LM docked at 01:10:15 GMT.

The LM ascent stage was jettisoned at 04:51:31 GMT on 12/15/72. Deorbit firing of the ascent stage was initiated at 06:31:14 GMT on 12/15/72 and lunar impact occurred 19 min 7 sec later approximately 0.7 nm from the planned target at latitude 19deg 56min North and longitude 30 degrees 32min East. The ascent stage impact was recorded by the four Apollo 17 geophones and by each ALSEP at Apollo-12, Apollo-14, Apollo-15 and Apollo-16 landing sites.

Title: View of the Earth seen by the Apollo 17 crew traveling toward the moon.

Title: Astronaut Harrison Schmitt next to deployed U.S. flag on lunar surface.

Title: Candid photo of Astronaut Eugene Cernan aboard Apollo 17 spacecraft.

Date Taken: 12/13/72 Description: Scientist- Astronaut Harrison Schmitt, Apollo 17 lunar module pilot, is photographed next to the U.S. flag during extravehicular activity (EVA) of NASA's final lunar landing mission in the Apollo series.  The highest part of the flag appears to point toward our planet earth in the distant background.

Date Taken: 12/17/72 Description: This candid photograph of Astronaut Eugene A. Cernan was taken by a fellow crewman aboard the Apollo 17 space- craft during the final lunar landing mission in the Apollo program. Cernan was the mission commander.  

Date Taken: 12/14/72 Description: The Apollo 17 lunar module (LM) "Challenger" ascent stage leaves the Taurus-Littrow landing site as it makes its spectacular liftoff from the lunar surface, as seen in this reproduction taken from a color television trans- mission made by the color RCA TV camera mounted on the lunar roving vehicle. The LM descent stage is used as a launching platform and remains behind on the Moon. Here, the two stages have completely separated and the ascent stage is headed skyward.