Apollo Missions
By the time the Apollo 16 mission was launched, the Apollo assembly lines had been shut down and NASA had already canceled 3 missions, even for ones that already had hardware built. After Apollo 16 there would be only one more mission to the moon.
With Apollo ending there was no new equipment to test, no new procedures to try, but, with proven equipment and procedures, the last two missions presented opportunities to clear some uncertainties in our understanding of the Moon.
Apollo 16 was the first study of highlands area. Selected surface experiments deployed, ultraviolet camera/spectrograph used for first time on Moon, and the Lunar Rover was used for the second time traveling 26.7 km. Three EVAs totaling 20 hours 14 minutes recovering 213 lbs of lunar samples. Lunar surface stay-time, 71 hours; in lunar orbit 126 hours, with 64 orbits. A sub-satellite was released in lunar orbit. Mattingly performed 1-hour trans-Earth EVA.
NASA PHOTO: A fully loaded John Young jumps for an out-of-this-world salute from the lunar surface. Although the suit and backpack weigh as much as he does, his total weight is only about 65 pounds and, to get this height, he only had to bend his knees slightly and then push up with his legs. In the background, we can see the UV astronomy camera, the flag, the Lunar Module, Rover with the TV camera watching.
NASA PHOTO: This picture shows John Young at the ALSEP site. He is working with a sample bag, using the top of the camera, which is Charlie's, as a work surface. The "LMP" decal can be seen on the top of the camera just back of the lens.
NASA PHOTO: This frame from John Young's Plum Crater pan shows Charlie Duke as he moves to the south to examine some angular blocks. Stone Mountain is in the background. The small crater on the right edge is about five meters in diameter.
NASA PHOTO: This frame is part of a pan John took at the rim of North Ray Crater. It shows Charlie as he gets the 500-mm camera out from under John's Rover seat. Al Bean used this photograph as the basis of one of his paintings, adding John at the right side.
NASA PHOTO: A Navy diver helps Ken Mattingly into the recovery raft. 27 April 1972
Crew
John W. Young , Commander
Charles M. Duke Jr. , Lunar Module Pilot
Thomas K. Mattingly II , Command Module Pilot
Payload
Casper (CM-113)
Orion (LM-11)
Launch
April 16, 1972; 12:54:00:567 p.m. EST
Launch Pad 39A
Saturn-V SA-511
Landing
April 27, 1972
Pacific Ocean
Recovery Ship: USS Ticonderoga
