Aliases

Disambiguation

Eugene Andrew Cernan, also known as Gene Cernan or Commander Cernan. No disambiguation required — a well-documented historical figure, last person to walk on the Moon (Apollo 17, 1972). Should not be confused with other astronauts of the same era.

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• Gene Cernan — Wikipedia
  Wikipedia▎ high· 2026-05-14
  • Born March 14, 1934 in Chicago; died January 16, 2017 in Houston
  • Earned BS in Electrical Engineering (Purdue, 1956) and MS in Aeronautical Engineering (NPS, 1963)
  • Navy pilot with 5,000+ flying hours including 4,800 in jet aircraft
  • Third group of astronauts selected by NASA (October 1963)
  • Three spaceflights: Gemini 9A (pilot), Apollo 10 (LMP), Apollo 17 (commander)
  • Last person to walk on the Moon; spent 22 hours on lunar surface
• UFO files reveal Apollo 17 crew saw mysterious objects, lights during 1972 mission
  CBS News▎ high· 2026-05-14
  • Pentagon declassified UFO files released May 8, 2026 included Apollo 17 observations
  • Cernan observed 'flashing' object compared to an 'imposing train headlight'
  • Cernan described objects 'rotating in a very rhythmic fashion' with regular flashes
  • Crew member Ronald Evans reported 'very bright particles or fragments'
  • Crew member Harrison Schmitt stated 'It looks like the Fourth of July out of Ron's window'
  • NASA photograph shows 'three dots in triangular formation' in lunar sky from December 1972
• Eugene A. Cernan — NASA Official Biography
  NASA▎ high· 2026-05-14
  • Born Chicago, March 14, 1934; died January 2017
  • Performed EVA on Gemini IX (2 hours 10 minutes)
  • Apollo 10: First comprehensive lunar module qualification flight, descended to 8 nautical miles of lunar surface
  • Apollo 17: Led final Apollo lunar landing, last to leave footprints on Moon
  • Retired Navy captain with commission through Navy ROTC at Purdue
  • Retired from NASA 1976; founded The Cernan Corporation and served as Chairman of Johnson Engineering