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Apollo 15 embarked 39 years ago, on July 26 of 1971, and was the ninth manned mission in the Apollo program, the fourth mission to land on the Moon and the eighth successful manned mission. Two astronauts, Commander David R. Scott and LM (Lunar Module) pilot James B. Irwin, are shown during their 4 days on the lunar surface. Shortly thereafter, the Apollo 17 mission landed, in December of 1972, and would be the sixth and final mission in which humans would roam the moon. The photographs from the 17th mission include Commander Eugene A. Cernan, LM pilot Harrison H. Schmitt and CM (Command Module) pilot Ronald E. Evans. Some activities depicted in the collection of twelve images include; the retrieval of a film canister on the outside of a spacecraft, the preparation of a LRV (Lunar Roving Vehicle), collection of lunar samples and, of course, the overall exploration of the moon’s surface.

Schmitt with Flag and Earth Above
Maker: NASA
Date: December 13, 1972
Medium: color print, chromogenic development (Ektacolor) process
Dimensions: Image: 26.5 x 34.2 cm . Overall: 27.6 x 35.6 cm
George Eastman House Collection

Astronaut James Irwin gives salute beside U.S. flag during lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA)
Maker: NASA
Date: August 1, 1971
Medium: color print, chromogenic development (Ektacolor) process
Dimensions: Image: 26.5 x 34.2 cm . Overall: 27.6 x 35.6 cm
George Eastman House Collection

Apollo 17 Astronaut Evans Retrieves Film Canister During Space Walk
Maker: NASA
Date: December 14, 1972
Medium: color print, chromogenic development (Ektacolor) process
Dimensions: Image: 26.5 x 34.2 cm . Overall: 27.6 x 35.6 cm
George Eastman House Collection

Cernan Driving the Rover
Maker: NASA
Date: December 1, 1972
Medium: color print, chromogenic development (Ektacolor) process
Dimensions: Image: 26.5 x 34.2 cm . Overall: 27.6 x 35.6 cm
George Eastman House Collection

Apollo 17 onboard photo of area near the Valley of Tourus-Littrow on the lunar surface.
Maker: NASA
Date: December 14, 1972
Medium: color print, chromogenic development (Ektacolor) process
Dimensions: Image: 26.5 x 34.2 cm . Overall: 27.6 x 35.6 cm
George Eastman House Collection

Apollo 17 Lunarscape: A Magnificent Desolation
Maker: NASA
Date: December 1, 1972
Medium: color print, chromogenic development (Ektacolor) process
Dimensions: Image: 26.5 x 34.2 cm . Overall: 27.6 x 35.6 cm
George Eastman House Collection

Apollo 17 Command/Service modules photographed from lunar module in orbit
Maker: NASA
Date: December 1, 1972
Medium: color print, chromogenic development (Ektacolor) process
Dimensions: Image: 26.5 x 34.2 cm . Overall: 27.6 x 35.6 cm
George Eastman House Collection

Scott Gives Salute
Maker: NASA
Date: August 1, 1971
Medium: color print, chromogenic development (Ektacolor) process
Dimensions: Image: 26.5 x 34.2 cm . Overall: 27.6 x 35.6 cm
George Eastman House Collection

Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) during the Apollo 15 mission, July, 1971
Maker: NASA
Date: July/August 1971
Medium: color print, chromogenic development (Ektacolor) process
Dimensions: Image: 26.5 x 34.2 cm . Overall: 27.6 x 35.6 cm
George Eastman House Collection

Lunar Activities During the Apollo 15 Mission
Maker: NASA
Date: July/August 1971
Medium: color print, chromogenic development (Ektacolor) process
Dimensions: Image: 26.5 x 34.2 cm . Overall: 27.6 x 35.6 cm
George Eastman House Collection

Apollo 17 Astronaut Harrison Schmitt Collects Lunar Rock Samples
Maker: NASA
Date: December 14, 1972
Medium: color print, chromogenic development (Ektacolor) process
Dimensions: Image: 26.5 x 34.2 cm . Overall: 27.6 x 35.6 cm
George Eastman House Collection

Astronaut Irwin with LRV
Maker: NASA
Date: July 26, 1971
Medium: color print, chromogenic development (Ektacolor) process
Dimensions: Image: 26.5 x 34.2 cm . Overall: 27.6 x 35.6 cm
George Eastman House Collection

Courtesy of the George Eastman House

George Eastman House, an independent nonprofit museum, is an educational institution that tells the story of photography and motion pictures—media that have changed and continue to change our perception of the world.

George Eastman House:

• Collects and preserves objects that are of significance to photography, motion pictures, and the life of George Eastman.
• Builds information resources to provide the means for both scholarly research and recreational inquiry.
• Keeps and cares for images, literature, and technology to tell the story of photography and the motion picture in history and in culture.
• Cares for George Eastman’s house, gardens, and archives, maintaining them for public enjoyment and as a memorial to his contribution to our lives and our times.

Be sure to follow George Eastman House on twitter, read its blog, view its podcasts and visit its website.