Mission Summary
Apollo 16 was NASA’s fifth successful lunar landing mission and the second to explore the Moon’s rugged highlands. Launched on April 16, 1972, the mission carried astronauts John Young, Charles Duke, and Thomas Mattingly to the Descartes Highlands, where scientists hoped to determine whether the region had been shaped by ancient volcanic activity or massive asteroid impacts. After a brief delay in lunar orbit caused by a concern with the Command Module’s propulsion system, NASA approved the landing, allowing the mission to proceed.
Young and Duke spent more than 71 hours on the lunar surface, completing three moonwalks and driving the Lunar Roving Vehicle nearly 27 kilometers (17 miles). They deployed scientific experiments, explored several geological formations, and collected approximately 95 kilograms (209 pounds) of lunar rocks and soil. Meanwhile, Mattingly conducted scientific observations from lunar orbit and later performed a deep-space spacewalk during the return journey to retrieve film from the Service Module.
Apollo 16 demonstrated the continued value of extended scientific exploration on the Moon. The mission showed that the Descartes Highlands were shaped primarily by ancient impacts rather than volcanic eruptions, providing important new insights into the Moon’s early geological history.
Sources and notes can be found on the Sources page.
