Eugene Cernan
Eugene Andrew Cernan (March 14, 1934 ? January 16, 2017) was an American astronaut, naval aviator, electrical engineer, aeronautical engineer, and fighter pilot. During the Apollo 17 mission, Cernan became the eleventh person to walk on the moon and, as of 2018, is the last person to have walked on the Moon by virtue of being the last man to re-enter the lunar module. Cernan was born on March 14, 1934, in Chicago, Illinois; he is the son of Rose (née Cihlar) and Andrew Cernan. His father was of Slovak descent and his mother was of Czech ancestry. He studied at Purdue University. In 1956, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. Cernan was commissioned a U.S. Navy Ensign through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps at Purdue, and was initially stationed on the USS Saipan. Cernan changed to active duty and attended flying training at Whiting Field, Baron Field, Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, and Naval Air Station Memphis.:29?31 Following flight training on the T-28 Trojan, T-33 Shooting Star, and F9F Panther, Cernan became a Naval Aviator, flying FJ-4 Fury and A-4 Skyhawk jets in Attack Squadrons 126 and 113. Upon completion of his assignment in Miramar, California, he finished his education in 1963 at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School with a Master of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering.During his naval career, Cernan logged more than 5,000 hours of flying time, including 4,800 hours in jet aircraft. Cernan also made 200 landings on aircraft carriers. Cernan was originally selected with Thomas Stafford as backup pilot for Gemini 9. When the prime crew was killed in the crash of NASA T-38A \"901\" (USAF serial 63-8181) at Lambert Field on February 28, 1966, the backup crew became the prime crew?the first time this happened. Gemini 9A encountered a number of problems; the original target vehicle exploded during launch and the planned docking with a substitute target vehicle was made impossible by the failure of a protective shroud to separate after launch. Cernan turned down the opportunity to walk on the moon as Lunar Module Pilot of Apollo 16, preferring to risk missing a flight for the opportunity to command his own mission. Cernan moved back into the Apollo rotation as commander of the backup crew of Cernan, Ronald E. Evans, and Joe Engle for Apollo 14, putting him in position through normal crew rotation to command his own crew on Apollo 17. Cernan\'s status as the last person to walk on the Moon means Purdue University is the alma mater of both the first person to walk on the Moon?Neil Armstrong?and the most recent. Cernan is one of only three astronauts to travel to the moon on two occasions; the others being Jim Lovell and John Young. As of 2018, he is also one of only twelve people to have walked on the Moon. Apollo 10 holds the record for the highest speed attained by any manned vehicle at 39,897 km/h (24,791 mph) during its return from the moon on May 26, 1969. Cernan died in a hospital in Houston on January 16, 2017, at the age of 82. He was buried with full military honors at Texas State Cemetery?the first astronaut to be buried there?during a private service on January 25, 2017.
Spaceflights:
No. Mission Position Time Duration
1 Gemini 9A PLT 03.06. - 06.06.1966 3d 00h 20m
2 Apollo 10 LMP 18.05. - 26.05.1969 8d 00h 03m
3 Apollo 17 CDR 07.12. - 19.12.1972 12d 13h 52m
Total 23d 14h 15m
