LM-12 Apollo 17

LM-12, the Apollo 17 Lunar Module "Challenger", was flown by astronauts Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt to the lunar surface on December 11, 1972.

Approximately 4" diameter embroidered patch.

What Was the Apollo Program?
Apollo was the NASA program that resulted in American astronauts' making a total of 11 spaceflights and walking on the moon.

The first four flights tested the equipment used in the Apollo Program. Six of the other seven flights landed on the moon. The first Apollo flight happened in 1968. The first moon landing took place in 1969. The last moon landing was in 1972.

A total of 12 astronauts walked on the moon. The astronauts conducted scientific research there. They studied the lunar surface. They collected moon rocks to bring back to Earth.

When Did Humans First Visit the Moon?

The first manned mission to the moon was Apollo 8. It circled around the moon on Christmas Eve in 1968. However, Apollo 8 did not land on the moon. It orbited the moon, then came back to Earth. The crew was Frank Borman, Bill Anders and Jim Lovell.

The first moon landing occurred on July 20, 1969, on the Apollo 11 mission. The crew of Apollo 11 was Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin. Armstong and Aldrin walked on the lunar surface while Collins remained in orbit around the moon. When Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon, he said, "That's one small step for (a) man; one giant leap for mankind."

The following missions flew humans during Apollo:
Apollo Flight 7
Date: Oct. 11-22, 1968
Mission: Tested the Command Module
Crew: Schirra, Eisele, Cunningham

Apollo Flight 8
Date: Dec. 21-27, 1968
Mission: First to orbit the moon
Crew: Borman, Lovell, Anders

Apollo Flight 9
Date: March 3-13, 1969
Mission: Tested the Lunar Module
Crew: McDivitt, Scott, Schweickart

Apollo Flight 10
Date: May 18-26, 1969
Mission: Tested the Lunar Module around the moon
Crew: Cernan, Young, Stafford

Apollo Flight 11
Date: July 16-24, 1969
Mission: First to land on the moon
Crew: Armstrong, Aldrin, Collins

Apollo Flight 12
Date: Nov. 14-24, 1969
Mission: Landed on the moon
Crew: Conrad, Bean, Gordon

Apollo Flight 13
Date: April 11-17, 1970
Mission: Was supposed to land on the moon but had a malfunction
Crew: Lovell, Swigert, Haise

Apollo Flight 14
Date: Jan. 31-Feb. 9, 1971
Mission: Landed on the moon
Crew: Shepard, Mitchell, Roosa

Apollo Flight 15
Date: July 26-Aug. 7, 1971
Mission: Landed on the moon
Crew: Scott, Irwin, Worden

Apollo Flight 16
Date: April 16-27, 1972
Mission: Landed on the moon
Crew: Young, Duke, Mattingly

Apollo Flight 17
Date: Dec. 7-19, 1972
Mission: Landed on the moon
Crew: Cernan, Schmitt, Evans