Ronald Evans ( astronaut ) Ronald Ellwin Evans , Jr . ( November 10 , 1933 – April 7 , 1990 ) was a NASA astronaut and one of only 24 people to have flown to the Moon . He also served as a Captain in the United States Navy . Evans was selected as an astronaut by NASA as part of Astronaut Group 5 in 1966 and made his first and only flight into space as command module pilot aboard Apollo 17 in 1972 , the last manned mission to the Moon to date , with Commander Eugene Cernan and Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt . During the flight , he orbited the Moon as his two crew mates descended to the surface . In 1975 Evans served as backup command module pilot for the Apollo - Soyuz Test Project mission . Biography . Early years . Evans was born on November 10 , 1933 in St . Francis , Kansas . He was active in the Boy Scouts of America where he achieved its second highest rank , Life Scout . He graduated from Highland Park High School in Topeka , Kansas , received a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Kansas in 1956 and a master of science degree in aeronautical engineering from the U . S . Naval Postgraduate School in 1964 . He was a member of Tau Beta Pi , Society of Sigma Xi , and Sigma Nu . Military career . In June 1957 he completed flight training after receiving his commission as an Ensign through the Navy ROTC Program at the University of Kansas . When notified of his selection to the astronaut program , Evans was on sea duty in the Pacific , assigned to VF - 51 and flying F - 8 Crusader aircraft from the carrier during a period of seven months in Vietnam War combat operations . The total flight time accrued during his career was 5 , 100 hours , including 4 , 600 hours in jet aircraft . NASA career . Evans was one of the 19 astronauts selected by NASA in April 1966 . He served as a member of the astronaut support crews for the Apollo 7 and Apollo 11 flights , and as backup command module pilot for Apollo 14 . Evans ' first and only space flight was as command module pilot of Apollo 17 , the last scheduled US manned mission to the Moon . He was accompanied by Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt . While Cernan and Schmitt landed and worked on the Moon in the Taurus - Littrow Valley , Evans remained in lunar orbit on board the command module " America " , completing assigned work tasks which required visual geological observations , hand - held photography of specific targets , and the control of cameras and other highly sophisticated scientific equipment carried in the service module ' s SIM bay . On the way back to Earth , Evans completed a one - hour , six - minute extravehicular activity , successfully retrieving three camera cassettes and completing a personal inspection of the equipment bay area . He logged 301 hours , 51 minutes in space ; 1 hour , 6 minutes of which were spent in extravehicular activity . He holds the record of more time spent in lunar orbit : six days and four hours ( 148 hours ) . Evans was later backup command module pilot for the Apollo - Soyuz Test Project ( ASTP ) mission . Evans retired from the U . S . Navy on April 30 , 1976 , with 21 years of service , and remained active as a NASA astronaut involved in the development of NASA ' s Space Shuttle Program . He served as a member of the operations and training group within the Astronaut Office , responsible for launch and ascent phases of the Space Shuttle flight program . Later years . Evans retired from NASA in 1977 to pursue a career in the coal industry . He died of a heart attack in Scottsdale , Arizona , on April 7 , 1990 and was survived by his widow Jan and two children . Honors . Evans was presented with the NASA Distinguished Service Medal in 1973 , the Johnson Space Center Superior Achievement Award in 1970 , the Navy Distinguished Service Medal in 1973 , Navy Astronaut wings , eight Air Medal s , the Vietnam Service Medal , and the Navy Commendation Medal with combat distinguishing service in 1966 . He received a University of Kansas Distinguished Service Citation in 1973 , and was named Kansan of the Year in 1972 .