How Many People Have Walked on the Moon? - Universe Today Universe Today How Many People Have Walked on the Moon? Article Updated: 21 Dec , 2015 by Nancy Atkinson Ask someone if they know the names of the astronauts who have walked on the Moon, and most people would be able to list Neil Armstrong, and maybe even Buzz Aldrin. But can you name the rest of the Apollo astronauts who made it down to the lunar surface? How many people have walked on the Moon? In total twelve people have walked on the Moon. Besides Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin – who were the first two astronauts to leave their bootprints on the Moon — there were also Pete Conrad, Alan Bean, Alan Shepard, Edgar Mitchell, David Scott, James Irwin, John Young, Charles Duke, Eugene Cernan, and Harrison Schmitt. Interestingly, out of the dozen people who walked on the Moon, no one ever did it more than once. Here’s some additional information about the men who walked on the Moon and their missions: Apollo 11 – 2 people The iconic photo of Buzz Aldrin on the Moon for Apollo 11.

Credit: NASA On July 21, 1969, Neil Armstrong made history by becoming the first person to set foot on the Moon. He was soon followed by Buzz Aldrin. In a nail-biting landing, Armstrong had to manually fly the Lunar Module past the intended landing spot, which he could see was filled with boulders. He landed safely in Tranquility Base with Aldrin keeping an eye on the altitude and velocity, along with a dangerously low fuel tank. In total, Neil and Buzz were on the lunar surface (both inside their Eagle lunar module and walking on the Moon) for only 21 hours, 36 minutes and 21 seconds and were outside walking in the Sea of Tranquility for just 2 hours, 31 minutes and 40 seconds. During their EVA, they collected rocks, planted the US flag, and deployed a seismograph and an experiment called the Lunar Ranging Retroreflector – a reflective device that measures the distance between the Earth and the Moon using lasers from Earth — which is still in use today. Apollo 12 – 2 people A bootprint in the lunar regolith, taken during Apollo 11 in 1969.

Credit: NASA. Pete Conrad and Alan Bean were the Moon walkers on the Apollo 12 mission. The Apollo 12 crew experienced two lightning strikes just after their Saturn V rocket launched on November 14, 1969. The jolts knocked out the guidance system and power for a time, but thanks to quick thinking by Mission Control and Alan Bean, the systems were recovered. The Apollo 12 crew proved they could make a pin-point landing, touching down just 185 meters (600 feet) from the Surveyor 3 unmanned spacecraft. During one of their EVAs, Conrad and Bean walked to the Surveyor 3 spacecraft and removed pieces of it bring back to Earth for analysis. Conrad and Bean were on the Moon for two days, November 19 and 20, 1969. Apollo 13 – 0 People The next mission to launch to the Moon was Apollo 13, but because an oxygen tank on the spacecraft’s Service Module exploded two days after launch, the crew was not able to land on the Moon – and a harrowing and spectacular recovery ensued. You can find out more about the Apollo 13 mission here.

Apollo 14 – 2 people The launch of Apollo 14. Credit: NASA. The next two people to set foot on the Moon were Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell who were part of the Apollo 14 mission. They launched on January 31, 1971, and landed on February 5 in the Fra Mauro region of the Moon, the original destination for Apollo 13. Shepard and Mitchell performed two EVAs, deploying seismic experiments to study potential Moon quakes, and used the Modular Equipment Transporter (MET), a pull cart for carrying equipment and samples. During the second moonwalk, they tried to reach the edge of a crater named Cone Crater, but with no obvious landmarks amid the rolling, repetitive terrain, they weren’t able to find it. Later analysis combining images the astronauts took with orbital images, it was determined the duo had come within just 20 meters (65 feet) of the crater’s rim. While on the Moon, Shepard fashioned a golf club and hit a couple of golf balls. Mitchell joined in by throwing a lunar scoop handle javelin-style.

Apollo 15 – 2 people David Scott and James Irwin landed on the Moon on July 31, 1971 for the Apollo 15 mission, staying for three days, until August 2nd. Unlike the previous missions which landed on the flat lunar plains, the Apollo 15 landed between two mountains in an area called Hadley Rille. The two astronauts spent 18½ hours outside the spacecraft on lunar extra-vehicular activity (EVA), and this time the Apollo crew brought along the first lunar rover, which allowed them to travel much farther from the Lunar Module than previous missions. During three moonwalks, Scott and Irwin deployed several science experiments and collected 77 kg (170 lb) of lunar rock samples. Apollo 16 – 2 people John Young – caught mid-leap – salutes the American flag on the lunar surface. Credit: NASA. John Young and Charles Duke were the next men to walk on the Moon with the Apollo 16 mission. When the crew reached lunar orbit, the mission almost had to be aborted because of a problem with Command/Service Module’s main engine.

They landed though, and it was the first mission to land in the lunar highlands. They were on the lunar surface for three days, from April 21 to 23, 1972. John Young and Charles Duke spent 71 hours — just under three days — on the lunar surface, during which they conducted three moonwalks, totaling 20 hours and 14 minutes. The pair drove the lunar rover a total of 26.7 kilometres (16.6 miles). Apollo 17 – 2 people Eugene Cernan on the lunar surface, December 13, 1972. Credit: NASA. The final people to walk on the Moon were Eugene (Gene) Cernan and Harrison (Jack) Schmitt. They launched of the first night-time liftoff of the Saturn V rocket, and the astronauts of Apollo 17 landed on the Moon on December 11, 1972. Their three-day stay on the Moon lunar surface included three moonwalks,where they collected lunar samples and deployed scientific instruments. The Apollo 17 crew returned to Earth on December 19 after a 12-day mission.

Before he left the Moon, Cernan scratched the initials of his daughter Tracy into the lunar regolith. Since the Moon does not experience weather conditions like wind or rain to erode anything away, her initials should stay there for a very long time. And since 1972, no person has been either on the Moon or in lunar orbit. How Many People Have Walked on the Moon?: 12 And even though no one has landed on the Moon more than once, three different astronauts have actually traveled to the Moon more than once. Jim Lovell orbited the Moon on Apollo 8 and flew around the Moon on the aborted Apollo 13 mission. John Young and Gene Cernan were both on Apollo 10 which orbited the Moon, and then later Young walked on the moon on Apollo 16, and Cernan walked on the Moon during Apollo 17. Apollo mission. Earth's Moon How Many People Have Walked On The Moon Up Till 2010 | Upcoming 2015 2016 How Many People Have Walked on the Moon?

- Universe Today Dec 21, 2015 Interestingly, out of the dozen people who walked on the Moon, no one ever Here's some additional information about the men who walked on the 1971 for the Apollo 15 mission, staying for three days, until August 2nd. How many men have walked on the moon? - Quora From publicly acknowledged information (and barring the hoax conspiracy theorists), 12 men. They went up and orbited the Earth for a week or two. None of that crew How long will it be until the first woman walks on the moon? How long List of Apollo astronauts - Wikipedia Thirty-two astronauts were assigned to fly in the Apollo manned lunar landing program. The twelve who walked on the Moon are the only people ever to have set foot.. Jump up ^ Zornio, Mary C. Detailed Biographies of Apollo I Crew - "Gus 40 Years After Moon Landing: Why Is It So Hard to Go Back? Jul 20, 2009 If NASA could get to the moon in 1969 after eight years of work, why is it so hard to go landing mission, is beside the U.S.

flag during an Apollo 11 moon walk. with Constellation, an ambitious project to return humans to the moon by 2020. "This is much more than flags and footsteps," said John Olson, The Men Who Walked on the Moon - Today I Found Out Jul 1, 2014 Marcus L. asks: How many people walked on the moon? About six hours after the lunar module (the Eagle) of Apollo 11 landed on the Moon at the Sea of precise landing of all the lunar modules up to that time, due to problems with after the Apollo 16 mission and did not retire from NASA until 2004. July 20, 1969: One Giant Leap For Mankind | NASA Jul 14, 2014 It turns out to be a simple case of the computer trying to do too many things at Men from Earth have walked on the moon and returned safely home. that NASA had ever presented to any individual up to that point.. until they arrived at the Crew Reception Area of the Lunar Receiving. March 1, 2010 Why Do People Persist in Denying the Moon Landings?

| National Posted on Thu, April 1 2010 It reads: “Once upon a time people walked on the moon. It defies credulity that so many people could have perpetrated such a hoax. The Fox.. No one has ever come foward to expose the cover up?. It's also silly, only kids think the moonlandings were faked, until they get better educated. Russia to finally send man to the Moon - Telegraph Mar 13, 2012 Russia will send a team of cosmonauts to the Moon, 60 years after Neil but this is the first time a firm deadline has been set for a manned lunar mission. The US knew about them, but their existence was not admitted publicly until 1990. India's space agency declared in 2010 that it wanted to launch a How Many People Have Been In Space? » Scienceline Mar 26, 2007 According to the Wikipedia list, 454 people have passed this threshold. For the cheaper launches, the ashes eventually return to earth or burn up in the atmosphere. All comments are moderated, your comment will not appear on the site until it has been approved.

Becca, February 15, 2010 at 7:45 pm. The incredible journey: Only man to have reached the deepest place Updated: 10:31 EST, 22 November 2010 Mr Walsh, now aged 79, said: 'They wanted no publicity until after the dive so it was under Six times as many people have walked on the moon than have reached the deepest place on earth. He said: 'When we hit the bottom a big cloud of sediment came up and this was Buzz Aldrin - Astronaut - Biography.com Dec 1, 2016 Learn more about Buzz Aldrin's 1969 trip to moon on the Apollo 11 mission. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin was one of the first people to walk on the moon. In 1963, Aldrin was part of a third group of men selected by NASA to attempt After Gemini 12, Aldrin was assigned to the back-up crew of Apollo 8 along Neil Armstrong - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com Get all the facts on HISTORY.com. Year Published.

2010 On July 20, 1969, American astronaut Neil Armstrong stepped off the lunar landing to more than a billion people listening at home: “That's one small step for man, He tested many high-speed aircraft, including the X-15, which could reach a top Sign me up Q & A: How long would we have if the Sun went out? – Starts With A Jul 12, 2010 If you heat anything up to a temperature of 5,800 Kelvin, it's going to emit light What if, for example, you suddenly cooled the Sun down to a much lower So the answer, surprisingly, is that if the Sun “went out,” we'd have about July 12, 2010. would people on the night side of Earth notice something? How many people have walked on the Moon? | Casper Planetarium How many people have walked on the Moon? Posted by casperplanetarium on July 18th, 2010 Twelve men walked on the Moon from 1969 to 1972.

Apollo 11: Buzz Aldren and Neil Armstrong Apollo 12: Alan Bean and Charles Conrad Apollo 14: Edgar Mitchell and Alan Shepard Apollo 15: James Irwin and David Scott Apollo 16: Charles Duke and John Young Apollo 17: Harrison Schmitt and Eugene Cernan How Many People Have Walked on the Moon? - Technology Org Technology Org How Many People Have Walked on the Moon? Posted August 2, 2013 Ask someone if they know the names of the astronauts who have walked on the Moon, and most people would be able to list Neil Armstrong, and maybe even Buzz Aldrin. But can you name the rest of the Apollo astronauts who made it down to the lunar surface? Astronaut Charles Duke collecting samples during Apollo 16. Credit: NASA. In total twelve people have walked on the Moon. Besides Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin – who were the first two astronauts to leave their bootprints on the Moon — there was also Pete Conrad, Alan Bean, Alan Shepard, Edgar Mitchell, David Scott, James Irwin, John Young, Charles Duke, Eugene Cernan, and Harrison Schmitt.

Interestingly, none of those who walked on the Moon ever did it more than once. Here’s some additional information about the men who walked on the Moon and their missions: The iconic photo of Buzz Aldrin on the Moon for Apollo 11. Credit: NASA On July 21, 1969, Neil Armstrong made history by becoming the first person to set foot on the Moon. He was soon followed by Buzz Aldrin. In a nail-biting landing, Armstrong had to manually fly the Lunar Module past the intended landing spot, which he could see was filled with boulders. He landed safely in Tranquility Base with Aldrin keeping an eye on the altitude and velocity, along with a dangerously low fuel tank. In total, Neil and Buzz were on the lunar surface (both inside their Eagle lunar module and walking on the Moon) for only 21 hours, 36 minutes and 21 seconds and were outside walking in the Sea of Tranquility for just 2 hours, 31 minutes and 40 seconds.

During their EVA, they collected rocks, planted the US flag, and deployed a seismograph and an experiment called the Lunar Ranging Retroreflector – a reflective device that measures the distance between the Earth and the Moon using lasers from Earth — which is still in use today. A bootprint in the lunar regolith, taken during Apollo 11 in 1969. Credit: NASA. Pete Conrad and Alan Bean were the Moon walkers on the Apollo 12 mission. The Apollo 12 crew experienced two lightning strikes just after their Saturn V rocket launched on November 14, 1969. The jolts knocked out the guidance system and power for a time, but thanks to quick thinking by Mission Control and Alan Bean, the systems were recovered. The Apollo 12 crew proved they could make a pin-point landing, touching down just 185 meters (600 feet) from the Surveyor 3 unmanned spacecraft. During one of their EVAs, Conrad and Bean walked to the Surveyor 3 spacecraft and removed pieces of it bring back to Earth for analysis.

Conrad and Bean were on the Moon for two days, November 19 and 20, 1969. The next mission to launch to the Moon was Apollo 13, but because an oxygen tank on the spacecraft’s Service Module exploded two days after launch, the crew was not able to land on the Moon – and a harrowing and spectacular recovery ensued. You can find out more about the Apollo 13 mission here. The next two people to set foot on the Moon were Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell who were part of the Apollo 14 mission. They launched on January 31, 1971, and landed on February 5 in the Fra Mauro region of the Moon, the original destination for Apollo 13. Shepard and Mitchell performed two EVAs, deploying seismic experiments to study potential Moon quakes, and used the Modular Equipment Transporter (MET), a pull cart for carrying equipment and samples. During the second moonwalk, they tried to reach the edge of a crater named Cone Crater, but with no obvious landmarks amid the rolling, repetitive terrain, they weren’t able to find it.

Later analysis combining images the astronauts took with orbital images, it was determined the duo had come within just 20 meters (65 feet) of the crater’s rim. While on the Moon, Shepard fashioned a golf club and hit a couple of golf balls. Mitchell joined in by throwing a lunar scoop handle javelin-style. David Scott and James Irwin landed on the Moon on July 31, 1971 for the Apollo 15 mission, staying for three days, until August 2nd. Unlike the previous missions which landed on the flat lunar plains, the Apollo 15 landed between two mountains in an area called Hadley Rille. The two astronauts spent 18½ hours outside the spacecraft on lunar extra-vehicular activity (EVA), and this time the Apollo crew brought along the first lunar rover, which allowed them to travel much farther from the Lunar Module than previous missions. During three moonwalks, Scott and Irwin deployed several science experiments and collected 77 kg (170 lb) of lunar rock samples. John Young – caught mid-leap – salutes the American flag on the lunar surface. Credit: NASA.

John Young and Charles Duke were the next men to walk on the Moon with the Apollo 16 mission. When the crew reached lunar orbit, the mission almost had to be aborted because of a problem with Command/Service Module’s main engine. They landed though, and it was the first mission to land in the lunar highlands. They were on the lunar surface for three days, from April 21 to 23, 1972. John Young and Charles Duke spent 71 hours — just under three days — on the lunar surface, during which they conducted three moonwalks, totaling 20 hours and 14 minutes. The pair drove the lunar rover a total of 26.7 kilometres (16.6 miles). Eugene Cernan on the lunar surface, December 13, 1972. Credit: NASA. The final people to walk on the Moon were Eugene (Gene) Cernan and Harrison (Jack) Schmitt. They launched of the first night-time liftoff of the Saturn V rocket, and the astronauts of Apollo 17 landed on the Moon on December 11, 1972.

Their three-day stay on the Moon lunar surface included three moonwalks,where they collected lunar samples and deployed scientific instruments. The Apollo 17 crew returned to Earth on December 19 after a 12-day mission. Before he left the Moon, Cernan scratched the initials of his daughter Tracy into the lunar regolith. Since the Moon does not experience weather conditions like wind or rain to erode anything away, her initials should stay there for a very long time. And since 1972, no person has been either on the Moon or in lunar orbit. Source: Universe Today , story by Nancy Atkinson Related Topics: The 12 Men Who Walked on the Moon | Mental Floss The 12 Men Who Walked on the Moon NASA / Harrison H. Schmitt Like us on Facebook If you were born after the Apollo program, and maybe even if you remember those days, it seems almost unbelievable that NASA sent manned missions to the moon 239,000 miles away. People continue to express sadness at the fact that the Apollo lunar missions were so long ago, and that soon there will be no one left alive who actually went to the moon.

Randall Munroe of xkcd addressed that concept some time ago, although we are ahead of that game in that no lunar astronaut has died since Neil Armstrong passed away in 2012. It's time we remembered -or got to know- the only twelve people who ever walked on a body other than planet Earth. 1. Neil Alden Armstrong Navy test pilot, engineer, and Korean War veteran Neil Armstrong left the Navy in 1952, but continued in the Naval Reserve. He worked as an experimental test pilot for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) beginning in 1955, which evolved into NASA. Armstrong was assigned as an astronaut in 1962, and flew on the Gemini 8 mission in 1966, where he performed the first successful space docking procedure. Armstrong was selected to be the first man to walk on the moon, as the Apollo 11 mission was planned, for several reasons : he was the commander of the mission, he didn't have a big ego, and the door of the lunar lander was on his side.

Although the first steps on the moon are what he will always be known for, Armstrong considered the mission's biggest accomplishment was landing the lunar module . He later said , Pilots take no special joy in walking: pilots like flying. Pilots generally take pride in a good landing, not in getting out of the vehicle. Armstrong along with his crew were honored with parades, awards, and acclaim after their return to Earth, but Armstrong always gave credit to the entire NASA team for the Apollo moon missions. He resigned from NASA in 1971 and became a professor of of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Cincinnati for eight years. Armstrong served on the boards of many corporations and foundations, but gradually withdrew from publicity tours and autograph signings. He didn't particularly care for fame. Neil Armstrong died on August 25, 2012, at age 82. His family released a statement that concluded: “For those who may ask what they can do to honor Neil, we have a simple request. Honor his example of service, accomplishment and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink.” 2.

Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin After graduating third in his class at West Point in 1951 with a degree in science, Buzz Aldrin flew 66 combat missions as an Air Force pilot in the Korean War. Then he earned a PhD at MIT. Aldrin joined NASA as an astronaut in 1963. In 1966 he flew in the Gemini 12 spacecraft on the final Gemini mission. Aldrin accompanied Neil Armstrong on the first moon landing in the Apollo 11 mission, becoming the second person, and now the first of the living astronauts, to set foot on the moon. Aldrin had taken a home Communion kit with him, and took Communion on the lunar surface , but did not broadcast the fact. Aldrin retired from NASA in 1971 and from the Air Force in 1972. He later suffered from clinical depression and wrote about the experience, but recovered with treatment. Aldrin has co-authored five books about his experiences and the space program, plus two novels. Aldrin continues to work to promote space exploration. Buzz Aldrin is 85 years old. 3.

Charles "Pete" Conrad Pete Conrad was a Princeton graduate and Navy test pilot before entering the astronaut corps in 1962. He flew on the Gemini V mission and was commander of Gemini XI. Conrad was commander of the Apollo 12 mission, launched during a lightning storm which temporarily knocked out the command module's power shortly after liftoff. When Conrad stepped onto the moon, he said, Whoopee! Man, that may have been a small one for Neil, but that's a long one for me. Conrad later flew on the Skylab 2 mission as commander with the first crew to board the space station. He retired from NASA and the Navy in 1973, after which he worked for American Television and Communications Company and then for McDonnell Douglas. Pete Conrad died on July 8, 1999 in a motorcycle accident. He was 69. 4. Alan L. Bean Apollo astronaut Alan Bean was the fourth man to walk on the moon, during the Apollo 12 mission in 1969. He was the lunar module pilot. Bean was also the commander of the Skylab Mission II in 1973, which spent 59 days in flight.

Altogether, Bean logged 1,671 hours and 45 minutes in space. Bean is the only artist to have visited another world, so his paintings of the lunar environment have the authenticity of an eyewitness. He retired from the Navy with the rank of Captain, but continued to train astronauts at NASA until 1981, when he retired to devote time to his art. See those paintings at Bean's online gallery , and stories that accompany each one. Alan Bean is now 83 years old. 5. Alan Shepard Alan Shepard was a bona-fide space pioneer who cemented his spot in history long before the Apollo program. A U.S. Navy test pilot, he was selected as one of the original Mercury astronauts in 1959. Shepard was the first American launched into space aboard the Freedom 7 spacecraft on May 5, 1961. His suborbital flight reached an altitude of 116 miles. Barred from flight during the Gemini program because of an inner ear problem, Shepard had the problem fixed surgically and was assigned as commander of the Apollo 14 mission to the moon.

He was responsible for the most accurate lunar module landing ever, and spent 9 hours and 17 minutes exploring the moon's surface outside the module. During that time, he famously knocked a couple of golf balls with a six-iron attached to his sample-collecting tool. With one arm (due to the space suit), he managed to drive further than professional golfers on Earth could ever hope to, thanks to the moon's lower gravity. Before and after his Apollo mission, Shepard served as Chief of the Astronaut Office. He retired from NASA and the Navy in 1974, having achieved the rank of Rear Admiral. Shepard went into private business, serving on the board of several corporations and foundations. He founded Seven Fourteen Enterprises, an umbrella corporation named after his two space missions. Shepard wrote a book with Deke Slayton, Moon Shot: The Inside Story of America's Race to the Moon . Shepard compared his book to The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe, saying , "'We wanted to call ours 'The Real Stuff,' since his was just fiction.'' Alan Shepard died on July 21, 1998 at the age of 74. 6. Edgar D.

Mitchell Ed Mitchell joined the Navy in 1952 and became a test pilot. Then he earned a PhD in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT. NASA selected him for the astronaut corps in 1966. In January of 1971, Mitchell flew on Apollo 14 as lunar module pilot, becoming the sixth man to walk on the lunar surface. He retired in 1972 and founded the Institute of Noetic Sciences , which explores psychic and paranormal events. Mitchell gained some notoriety after NASA for his views on UFOs , as he has asserted that the government is covering up evidence at Roswell. His information, he admits, comes secondhand from various sources. Ed Mitchell is 84 years old. 7. David Randolph Scott David Scott joined the Air Force after graduating from West Point. Selected as an astronaut in 1963, he flew with Neil Armstrong on the Gemini 8 mission and was command module pilot on Apollo 9. Scott then went to the moon on Apollo 15, which landed on the lunar surface on July 30, 1971. It was the first mission to land near mountains.

Scott and Jim Irwin spent 18 hours exploring the lunar landscape in the Lunar Roving Vehicle in the first mission to use such a vehicle to travel on the moon. Scott became famous for the "postage stamp incident," in which he took unauthorized postage stamp covers to the moon with the intent to sell them afterwards. NASA had turned a blind eye to such activities before, but publicity over the matter caused them to discipline Scott and he never flew again. Scott retired from NASA in 1977 and served as a consultant for several movies and TV shows about the space program. He also wrote a book with former cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, Two Sides of the Moon: Our Story of the Cold War Space Race . David Scott is 82 years old. 8. James B. Irwin Air Force test pilot James Irwin became an astronaut in 1966. He was the lunar module pilot for Apollo 15 in 1971. His 18.5 hours of lunar surface exploration included gathering many samples of rocks. The astronauts' medical conditions were being monitored from Earth, and they noticed Irwin developing symptoms of heart trouble .

As he was breathing 100% oxygen and under lower gravity than on Earth, mission control decided he was in the best environment possible for such irregularity -under the circumstances. Irwin's heart rhythm was normal by the time Apollo 15 returned to Earth, but he had a heart attack a few months later. Irwin retired from NASA and the Air Force (with the rank of Colonel) in 1972 and founded the High Flight Foundation in order to spread the Christian gospel during the last twenty years of his life. He notably took several groups on expeditions to Mt. Ararat to search for Noah's Ark. James Irwin died on August 8, 1991, of a heart attack. He was 61 years old. 9. John Watts Young John Young is so far the longest serving astronaut in NASA history. He was selected as an astronaut in 1962 and his first space flight was in 1965 aboard Gemini 3 with Gus Grissom. He achieved some notoriety at that time by smuggling a corned beef sandwich onto the flight, angering NASA.

But Young went on to complete a total of six space missions in the Gemini, Apollo, and the space shuttle programs. He orbited the moon on the Apollo 10 mission, then was commander of the Apollo 16 mission and became the ninth person to walk on the moon. Young was also commander of the first space shuttle flight in 1981 and returned for shuttle flight 9 in 1983, which deployed the first Spacelab module. Young was also scheduled for another space shuttle flight in 1986, which was delayed after the Challenger disaster, so the veteran astronaut never made his seventh flight. Young finally retired from NASA after 42 years of service in 2004. John Young is 84 years old. 10. Charles M. Duke Jr. Astronaut Charles Duke was capcom during the Apollo 11 mission. His is the voice you recall saying , "Roger, Twank... Tranquility, we copy you on the ground. You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue. We're breathing again. Thanks a lot!" when the lunar module landed on the moon.

Duke also made history by catching German measles while training in the backup crew for the Apollo 13 mission , exposing the crew to the disease and causing Ken Mattingly to be replaced by Jack Swigart on that terrifying spaceflight. Duke went to the moon (with Mattingly as command module pilot) on the Apollo 16 mission in April of 1972. He retired from NASA in 1975 having reached the rank of Brigadier General in the U.S. Air Force, and founded Duke Investments. Duke also became a Christian and a lay minister to prison inmates. Charles Duke is 79 years old. 11. Harrison "Jack" Schmitt Jack Schmitt was a geologist first, and trained as a pilot only after becoming a NASA astronaut. In fact, he was only the second civilian to fly into space, after Neil Armstrong, who was a veteran at the time of his flights.

Schmitt was assigned to fly to the moon on the Apollo 18 mission, but when the Apollo 18 and 19 missions were cancelled in September of 1970, the scientific community lobbied to have Schmitt reassigned to Apollo 17 (replacing Joe Engle) as lunar module pilot. He was the first scientist in outer space . On the Apollo 17 mission, he and Gene Cernan spent three days on the lunar surface (a record) and drove their Lunar Roving Vehicle around collecting samples, conducting experiments, and leaving measuring instruments behind. Schmitt and Cernan gathered 250 pounds of lunar material to take back. After resigning from NASA in 1975, Schmitt, a Republican, was elected Senator for New Mexico and served from 1977 to 1983. He became an adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and lives in Silver City, New Mexico. In recent years, Dr. Schmitt's scientific background and political leanings have kept him in the spotlight as he has said that the concept of climate change is "a red herring," and that environmentalism is linked with communism .

Schmitt is 79 years old. 12. Eugene A. Cernan As a Navy pilot, Gene Cernan logged over 5,000 hours flying time. He was accepted into the astronaut program in 1963. Cernan's first space flight was on Gemini IX in 1966, in which he conducted extravehicular activities (a space walk), followed by the Apollo 10 mission in May of 1969, which orbited the moon. Cernan was assigned commander of the Apollo 17 mission before anyone knew it would be the last Apollo mission. Even after the Apollo program was cut, no one knew for sure that travel to the moon would be abandoned for decades. When Schmitt and Cernan boarded their lunar module for the last time on December 13th, 1972, Cernan said , "I'm on the surface; and, 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. And, as we leave the Moon at Taurus-Littrow, we leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return: with peace and hope for all mankind. Godspeed the crew of Apollo 17." Cernan retired from the Navy and from NASA in 1976. He went on to found an aerospace technology firm, and wrote a book about his experiences as an astronaut. He also contributed his talents to ABC-TV as a commentator during shuttle flights and has made appearances on various space specials. In September of 2011, Cernan testified before Congress on the future of the space program. The space program has never been an entitlement, it's an investment in the future - an investment in technology, jobs, international respect and geo-political leadership, and perhaps most importantly in the inspiration and education of our youth. Those best and brightest minds at NASA and throughout the multitudes of private contractors, large and small, did not join the team to design windmills or redesign gas pedals, but to live their dreams of once again taking us where no man has gone before. Gene Cernan is now 81 years old.

More from mental_floss... Moon walkers How many people have walked on the Moon? The Answer: Twelve astronauts have walked on the Moon, the last in 1972. Here are the names of those astronauts listed chronologically by the date of their walk. July 20, 1969: Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin Nov. 19, 1969: Charles (Pete) Conrad and Alan Bean Feb. 5, 1971: Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell July 30, 1971: James Irwin and David Scott Apr. 21-23, 1972: Charles Duke and John Young Dec. 11-13, 1972: Harrison Schmitt and Eugene Cernan —The Editors How Many People Have Walked on the Moon? How Many People Have Walked on the Moon? Tweet Twelve astronauts have walked on the moon. Of the 17 Apollo missions launched by NASA, six were successful moon landings.

On 20 July, 1969, Apollo 11 became the first of the missions to make a successful landing, and Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first humans to walk on the moon. More Moon Mission Facts: Of the 12 people who have walked on the moon, all were American men. Eleven of the 12 people who walked on the moon were born in the 1930s; one was born in the 1920s. When Apollo 14 landed on 5 February, 1971, Alan Shepard became famous for hitting golf balls on the moon. This was also the first mission broadcast in color for television. Apollo 11 was not only the first mission in which astronauts walked on the moon, but also the first time samples were harvested and analyzed from another planetary body. The samples were dated at 3.7 billion years old. The first manned Apollo mission failed before it took off. A fire during the preflight tests killed US astronauts Ed White, Gus Grissom and Roger Chaffee.

Apollo 17 was the last of the missions to land on the moon and Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt were the last humans to walk on the moon. Estimates of the total cost of the Apollo project vary, generally ranging, in 2010 dollars, from about $130 to about $190 billion US Dollars.

Question: How many people (as at 2010) have walked on the moon?
Answer: 12