In 1972, when geologist and Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt spotted a patch of unusual orange soil on the Moon, he knew it was special, but he wasn’t sure exactly why. “Until it was possible to ...

The high-tech gadget dubbed the Apollo can opener was designed to pierce the vacuum-sealed cylinder while capturing any lunar gases that may still lurk within its walls. ANGSA Science Team When NASA’s ...

NASA scientists opened an untouched rock and soil sample from the Moon returned to Earth on Apollo 17, marking the first time in more than 40 years a pristine sample of rock and regolith from the ...

The Apollo 17 mission, NASA’s final crewed expedition to the Moon in December 1972, returned with valuable lunar samples, including material from the “Light Mantle,” a bright and unusual deposit at ...