Gene Cernan | |
|---|---|
 Cernan in 1969 | |
| Born | Eugene Andrew Cernan March 14, 1934 |
| Died | January 16, 2017 (aged 82) |
| Resting place | Texas State Cemetery |
| Education | |
| Spouse(s) |
Barbara Jean Artchley
(m. 1961; div. 1981)Janis Ellen Jones (m. 1987) |
| Children | 1 |
| Awards | |
| Space career | |
| NASA astronaut | |
| Rank | Captain, USN |
Time in space | 23d 14h 15m |
| Selection | NASA Group 3 (1963) |
Total EVAs | 4 |
Total EVA time | 24h 11m |
| Missions | |
Mission insignia |    |
| Retirement | July 1, 1976 |
| Website | Official website |
| Signature | |
 | |
Eugene Andrew Cernan (/ˈsɜːrnən/; 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 11th human being to walk on the Moon. As he re-entered the Apollo Lunar Module after Harrison Schmitt on their third and final lunar excursion, he remains the most recent person to walk on the Moon.
Before becoming an astronaut, Cernan graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University in Indiana, and joined the U.S. Navy through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC). After flight training, he received his naval aviator wings and served as a fighter pilot. In 1963, he received a Master of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. Achieving the rank of captain, he retired from the Navy in 1976.
Cernan traveled into space three times and to the Moon twice: as pilot of Gemini 9A in June 1966, as lunar module pilot of Apollo 10 in May 1969, and as commander of Apollo 17 in December 1972, the final Apollo lunar landing. Cernan was also a backup crew member of the Gemini 12, Apollo 7 and Apollo 14 space missions.