Young • Mattingly • Duke

Apollo 16 focused on the geology of the lunar highlands, where Commander John Young and lunar module pilot Charlie Duke spent parts of three days collecting hundreds of samples of rock and soil, including an important core sample from more than seven feet below the Moon's surface. Evidence from these materials showed that rocks in the area were formed not by volcanic activity, as had been presumed, but by meteorites smashing into the surface. This discovery was one of the scientific highlights of the entire Apollo program and sent lunar geology research in a new direction.

Huntsville, Alabama · United States