Eugene Cernan (born March 14, 1934; died January 16, 2017) was an American astronaut who became the last human to walk on the Moon. As the commander of the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972, he spent over three days on the lunar surface and holds the distinction of being the final person to step onto it.Apollo 17 and Lunar LegacyLaunched on December 7, 1972, Apollo 17 was NASA's final crewed lunar mission. Alongside Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt, Cernan touched down in the Taurus-Littrow valley.During their mission, Cernan and Schmitt completed three moonwalks, collected a record-breaking amount of lunar samples, and drove the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV).Before re-entering the lunar module for the final time on December 14, 1972, Cernan etched his daughter's initials, TDC, into the lunar dust. His final parting words on the lunar surface were: "As I take man's last step from the surface, back home for some time to come - but we believe not too long into the future - I'd like to just (say) what I believe history will record. That America's challenge of today has forged man's destiny of tomorrow.