— Ch. 1 · The Geologist's Seat —
Apollo 17.
~6 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
In September 1970, NASA canceled the planned launch of Apollo 18. This decision sent shockwaves through the agency's crew rotation schedule. Harrison Schmitt, a professional geologist with a doctorate from Harvard University, was originally slated to fly on Apollo 18 as lunar module pilot. The scientific community had been pressuring NASA to send a scientist to the Moon rather than just a test pilot. Mission planners needed to find a place for Schmitt before the program ended.
Deke Slayton, the director of flight crew operations at NASA, faced a difficult choice. He could assign Schmitt to Apollo 17 and move Gene Cernan and Ronald Evans into the prime slots. Or he could keep the original backup crew of Apollo 15 in their positions. Slayton chose to swap Schmitt into the Apollo 17 lineup. This meant Joe Engle, who had trained with Cernan, would not fly. Cernan initially objected to losing his partner but eventually accepted the change.
Schmitt became the only person with professional geological training to walk on the Moon. His presence shifted the mission's focus toward science. Before the mission, Schmitt spent months in field trips across Texas and Ontario learning how to collect samples. He worked alongside trainers like Gordon Swann to prepare for the rugged terrain of Taurus-Littrow. The other two astronauts also underwent extensive training to support his work.
The Saturn V Assembly
The launch vehicle SA-512 arrived at Kennedy Space Center in pieces over several years. The second stage came first on the 27th of October 1970. The third stage followed on December 21. The massive first stage did not arrive until the 11th of May 1972. Each component required careful handling before assembly began.
By June 1972, all parts were present. The Lunar Module ascent stage arrived on June 16, and the descent stage the next day. They were mated together on the 18th of May 1972. The Command Module and Service Module joined on the 28th of March 1972. Testing started immediately within vacuum chambers at the center. Engineers discovered that the Lunar Module's rendezvous radar had received too much voltage during earlier tests. Grumman replaced the faulty unit.
The Lunar Roving Vehicle reached Kennedy Space Center on the 2nd of June 1972. Its front and rear steering motors needed replacement as well. Modifications continued through August when the combined craft moved into the Vehicle Assembly Building. Erection of the rocket stages began on the 15th of May 1972, and finished by June 27. This marked the first time three launch vehicles sat in High Bay 3 since 1969. The final rollout to Pad 39-A occurred on August 28, watched by 5,000 area residents.