Eugene Cernan

Eugene Cernan was the commander of the Apollo 17 mission and the last human to walk on the Moon in December 1972. He is newsworthy now because the Artemis 2 mission, launched recently, marks the first crewed mission beyond Earth's orbit in 54 years, since Cernan's lunar walk. The successful launch of Artemis 2, with astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Victor Glover, and Jeremy Hansen, is a significant step towards returning humans to the Moon. Cernan's legacy as the last person to leave footprints on the lunar surface is highlighted by this renewed lunar exploration effort, emphasizing the long gap in crewed lunar missions and the anticipation surrounding the Artemis program's goals.