EUGENE A. CERNAN (CAPTAIN, USN, RET.)

NASA ASTRONAUT (DECEASED)

PERSONAL DATA: Born in Chicago, Illinois, on March 14, 1934. Died January

2017. He is survived by his wife, three daughters and nine grandchildren. His hobbies 

included love for horses, all competitive sports activities, including hunting, fishing and 

flying.

EDUCATION: Graduated from Proviso Township High School in Maywood, Illinois; 

received a bachelor of science degree in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University 

in 1956 and a master of science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the U.S. Naval 

Postgraduate School, Monterey, California; recipient of an Honorary Doctorate of Law 

degree from Western State University College of Law in 1969, an Honorary Doctorate of 

Engineering from Purdue University in 1970, Drexel University in 1977, and Gonzaga 

University & Comenius University of the Slovak Republic, Petroleum Economics and 

Management Seminar, Northwestern University, 1978. 

ORGANIZATIONS: Fellow, American Astronautical Society; member, Society of Experimental Test Pilots; member, Tau 

Beta Pi (National Engineering Society), Sigma Xi (National Science Research Society), Phi Gamma Delta (National Social 

Fraternity), and the Explorer's Club.

SPECIAL HONORS: Awarded two NASA Distinguished Service Medals, the NASA Exceptional Service Medal, the JSC 

Superior Achievement Award, two Navy Distinguished Service Medals, the Navy Astronaut Wings, the Navy Distinguished 

Flying Cross, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Special Trustees Award (1969), the Federation 

Aeronautique Internationale Gold Space Medal for 1972, the Cities of Houston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York Gold 

Medals, the VFW National Space Medal in 1973, Daughters of The American Revolution Medal of Honor, Induction into the 

U.S. Space Hall of Fame, the Challenger Center's "Salute to the U.S. Space Program" Honor, Slovak World Recognition Award 

and Slovak Presidential Medal of Honor.

EXPERIENCE: Cernan, a retired United States Navy Captain, received his commission through the Navy ROTC Program at 

Purdue. He entered flight training upon graduation. He was assigned to Attack Squadrons 26 and 112 at the Miramar, 

California, Naval Air Station, and Subsequently attended the Naval Postgraduate School. He has logged more than 5000 hours 

flying time with more than 4800 hours in jet aircraft and over 200 jet aircraft carrier landings.

NASA EXPERIENCE: Captain Cernan was one of fourteen astronauts selected by NASA in October 1963.

He occupied the pilot seat alongside of command pilot Tom Stafford on the Gemini IX mission. During this 3-day flight which 

Began on June 3, 1966, the spacecraft achieved a circular orbit of 161 statute miles; the crew used three different techniques to

effect rendezvous with the previously launched Augmented Target Docking Adapter; and Cernan, the second American to walk 

in space, logged two hours and ten minutes outside the spacecraft in extravehicular activities. The flight ended after 72 hours 

and 20 minutes with a perfect re-entry and recovery as Gemini IX landed within 1-1/2 miles of the prime recovery ship USS 

WASP and 3/8 of a mile from the predetermined target.

Cernan subsequently served as backup pilot for Gemini 12 and as backup lunar module pilot for Apollo 7.

On his second space flight, he was lunar module pilot of Apollo 10, May 18-26, 1969, the first comprehensive lunar-orbital 

qualification and verification flight test of an Apollo lunar module. He was accompanied on the 248,000 nautical sojourn to the 

moon by Thomas P. Stafford (spacecraft commander) and John W. Young (commander module pilot). In accomplishing all of 

the assigned objectives of this mission, Apollo 10 confirmed the operations performance, stability, and reliability of the 

command/service module and lunar module configuration during trans-lunar coast, lunar orbit insertion, and lunar module 

separation and descent to within 8 nautical miles of the lunar surface. The latter maneuver involved employing all but the final 

minutes of the technique prescribed for use in an actual lunar landing, and allowed critical evaluations of the lunar module

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration

January 2017

Biographical Data

 Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center

 Houston, Texas 77058
propulsions systems and rendezvous of the landing radar devices in subsequent rendezvous and re-docking maneuvers. In 

addition to demonstrating that man could navigate safely and accurately in the moon's gravitational fields, Apollo 10 

photographed and mapped tentative landing sites for future missions.

Cernan's next assignment was backup spacecraft commander for Apollo 14.

He made his third space flight as spacecraft commander of Apollo 17--the last scheduled manned mission to the moon for the 

United States--which commenced at 11:33 P.M. (CST), December 6, 1972, with the first manned nighttime launch, and 

concluded on December 19, 1972. With him on the voyage of the command module "America" and the lunar module 

"Challenger" were Ronald Evans (command module pilot) and Harrison H. (Jack) Schmitt (lunar module pilot). In maneuvering 

"Challenger" to a landing at Taurus-Littrow, located on the southeast edge of Mare Serenitatis, Cernan and Schmitt activated a 

base of operations from which they completed three highly successful excursions to the nearby craters and the Taurus 

mountains, making the Moon their home for over three days. This last mission to the moon established several new records for

manned space flight that include: longest manned lunar landing flight (301 hours 51 minutes); longest lunar surface 

extravehicular activities (22 hours 6 minutes); largest lunar sample return (an estimated 115 kg (249 lbs.); and longest time in 

lunar orbit (147 hours 48 minutes). While Cernan and Schmitt conducted activities on the lunar surface, Evans remained in 

lunar orbit aboard the "America" completing assigned work tasks requiring geological observations, handheld photography of 

specific targets, and the control of cameras and other highly sophisticated scientific equipment carried in the command module 

SIM-bay. Evans also completed a 1-hour, 6-minute extravehicular activity on the transearth coast phase of the return flight, 

successfully retrieving three camera cassettes and completing a personal inspection of the equipment bay area. Apollo 17 ended 

with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean approximately 0.4 miles from the target point and 4.3 miles form the prime recovery 

ship USS TICONDEROGA.

Captain Cernan has logged 566 hours and 15 minutes in space-of which more than 73 hours were spent on the surface of the 

moon. 

In September, 1973, Cernan assumed additional duties as Special Assistant to the Program Manager of the Apollo spacecraft 

Program at the Johnson Space Center. In this capacity, he assisted in the planning, development, and evaluation of the joint 

United States/Soviet Union Apollo-Soyuz mission, and he acted for the program manager as the senior United States negotiator 

in direct discussions with the USSR on the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project.

On July 1, 1976, Captain Cernan retired after over 20 years with the U.S. Navy. He concurrently terminated his formal 

association with NASA. 

Captain Cernan was the second American to have walked in space having spanned the circumference of the world twice in a 

little more than 2-1/2 hours. He was one of the two men to have flown to the moon on two occasions, and as commander of the 

last mission to the moon, Apollo 17, had the privilege and distinction of being the last man to have left his footprints on the 

surface of the moon. Up until his death he was passionate about space exploration and hoped he would not remain the last man 

to walk on the Moon.

BUSINESS: Cernan joined Coral Petroleum, Inc., of Houston, Texas, as Executive Vice President-International. His 

responsibilities were to enhance Coral's energy related programs on a worldwide basis

In September 1981, Captain Cernan started his own company, The Cernan Corporation, to pursue management and consultant 

interests in the energy, aerospace, and other related industries. Additionally he was actively involved as a co-anchorman on 

ABC-TV's presentations of the flight of the shuttle.

Captain Cernan became Chairman of the Board of Johnson Engineering Corporation. Johnson Engineering currently provides 

the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) with Flight Crew Systems Development with personnel located 

both on and off site at Johnson Space Center. Over the last seventeen years, Johnson Engineering has supported NASA in the 

design of crew stations for Space Shuttle, Spacelab, Space Station, Lunar Base and Mars Outpost. The company is directly 

involved with the operation of the 1-G trainers in Building 9A and B, as well as the Weightless Environment Training Facility in 

Building 29.

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