All Astronauts
VETERANRetiredNASA
VETERANRetiredNASANASA·🇺🇸 United States·Born 1935
Jack Schmitt
The only professional geologist to walk on the Moon, on Apollo 17, and the twelfth person to do so.
301h
Hours in Space
1
Missions
3
EVAs
22h
EVA Time
Biography
The only professional geologist to walk on the Moon, on Apollo 17, and the twelfth person to do so. Later served as a U.S. Senator from New Mexico.
Before NASAProfessional geologist who earned a Harvard PhD in geology, studied on a Fulbright scholarship at the University of Oslo, and worked at the U.S. Geological Survey's Astrogeology Center developing lunar field techniques for Apollo crews before NASA selected him in 1965.
Mission Timeline
- Lunar Module Pilot
Apollo LM Challenger
Apollo 17
Launch: Dec 7, 1972Landing: Dec 19, 1972Duration: 12 days- Only professional geologist to walk on the Moon
Beyond the Mission
Hobbies & Interests
fishingskiinghikingcarpentrywritingsquashhandballrunning
Languages
English
Fun fact
Schmitt is the only professional scientist — and the only person without a military aviation background — ever to walk on the Moon, and the rock he picked up there, Troctolite 76535, is considered 'without doubt the most interesting sample returned from the Moon' because it suggests the Moon once had an active magnetic field.
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