Harrison Schmitt

Jack Schmitt is a very special man. He was a scientist who studied rocks.

In 1972, he flew to the Moon. He was the first scientist to fly in space. He walked on the Moon and picked up rocks.

One rock he found was very important. It showed the Moon once had a magnetic field. He also helped take a famous photo of Earth.

After his space trip, he worked in the government. He was a leader in New Mexico. He helped make laws about space.

Jack is the last living person to walk on the Moon. He is a true hero of science.

Jack Schmitt is a famous scientist and astronaut. He studied geology, which is the study of rocks and how the Earth works.

In December 1972, Schmitt flew to the Moon on the Apollo 17 mission. He was the first scientist-astronaut to fly in space. This means he was a trained scientist who also flew a spacecraft. He walked on the Moon and collected many samples. One rock he found was very special. It helped prove that the Moon once had a magnetic field.

Schmitt also helped take a famous photo of Earth called "The Blue Marble." He is the only living person who has walked on the Moon without a background in military flying. After his time at NASA, he became a U.S. Senator for New Mexico. He served one term in the Senate.

Schmitt has worked in many ways to help science. He has been a professor and a consultant. He even helped design a tool for space Wi-Fi. He believes going to the Moon is the best way to reach Mars.

Harrison "Jack" Schmitt is a famous American geologist and former NASA astronaut. He is a very special person in the history of space travel. Schmitt is the only living person who has walked on the Moon without a background in military aviation. He was also the first member of a group of scientist-astronauts to fly in space. This means he was a professional scientist who also trained to be a pilot. His work helped us learn much more about the Moon and its history.

Schmitt’s journey to the Moon happened during the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972. This was the very last of the Apollo missions sent to the Moon. First, Schmitt worked at a center in Arizona to develop ways to study rocks. Then, he spent a year learning how to fly jet planes. When he reached the Moon, he worked with commander Gene Cernan to explore the surface. He collected many important rock samples while he was there. One specific rock, named Troctolite 76535, is a very famous discovery. This rock provides evidence that the Moon once had its own magnetic field.

Schmitt grew up in New Mexico and studied very hard in school. He went to the California Institute of Technology to study geology. Later, he earned a Doctor of Philosophy from Harvard University in 1964. He also spent time studying in Norway as a Fulbright Scholar. After his time with NASA, he decided to enter politics. In 1976, he won an election to become a U.S. Senator for New Mexico. He served one term in the Senate and helped lead a group focused on science and space.

Many important facts define his long and busy career. Schmitt was the twelfth person to walk on the Moon. He was also the second-youngest person to do so. He is the only professional scientist to have traveled beyond low Earth orbit to visit the Moon. In 2018, a space tool called the Schmitt Space Communicator was launched into space. This device was named in his honor to celebrate his work. It even sent the first commercial Twitter message from space.

Schmitt’s life connects many different worlds together. He connects the world of science with the world of government. He also connects the study of rocks on Earth to the rocks on the Moon. Even today, he shares his ideas about how humans can live in space. He believes that visiting the Moon is the fastest way for humans to reach Mars. His work continues to inspire people who want to explore the stars.

Harrison Hagan "Jack" Schmitt is a distinguished American geologist and former NASA astronaut. He holds a unique place in the history of space exploration. Schmitt is the most recent living person to have walked on the Moon. He is also the only person to walk on the Moon without a background in military aviation. As a member of the Apollo 17 crew in December 1972, he became the first scientist-astronaut to fly in space. This role allowed him to apply professional scientific training to lunar exploration.

Schmitt's career involved a deep connection between geology and spaceflight. Before joining NASA in June 1965, he worked at the U.S. Geological Survey's Astrogeology Center in Arizona. There, he developed geological field techniques for future Apollo crews. After his selection as an astronaut, he spent one year learning to be a jet pilot. He then trained Apollo crews to be effective geologic observers and field workers. He also helped evaluate lunar samples returned to Earth. This expertise ensured that scientific data was gathered accurately during lunar missions.

His journey to the Moon was shaped by specific mission changes. In March 1970, Schmitt was assigned to the Apollo 15 backup crew. He was scheduled to fly on the Apollo 18 or Apollo 19 missions. However, those missions were canceled in September 1970. Because the scientific community wanted a professional geologist on the Moon, they pressured NASA for a change. Consequently, Schmitt was reassigned to the Apollo 17 mission in August 1971. He served as the Lunar Module Pilot alongside commander Gene Cernan.

During the Apollo 17 mission, Schmitt achieved several historic milestones. He was the twelfth person to walk on the Moon and the second-youngest. He also became the second-to-last person to step off the lunar surface. While exploring, he collected a famous rock sample called Troctolite 76535. Scientists believe this sample is vital evidence that the Moon once had an active magnetic field. Schmitt also claims to have taken the famous "Blue Marble" photograph of Earth. NASA credits the entire Apollo 17 crew with this iconic image.

Schmitt's academic background provided the foundation for his scientific success. He grew up in Silver City, New Mexico, and graduated from Western High School in 1953. He earned a Bachelor of Science in geology from the California Institute of Technology in 1957. Following this, he studied geology in Norway as a Fulbright Scholar. He eventually received a Doctor of Philosophy in geology from Harvard University in 1964. His field studies in Norway were central to his doctoral work. This rigorous training prepared him for the complex tasks of lunar geology.

After leaving NASA in August 1975, Schmitt entered the world of politics. He ran as a Republican candidate for the United States Senate in New Mexico. He defeated the Democratic incumbent, Joseph Montoya, in the 1976 election. Schmitt served one term in the Senate and chaired the Science, Technology, and Space Subcommittee. He ran for re-election in 1982 but was defeated by Democrat Jeff Bingaman. This transition from astronaut to senator showed his influence in both science and government.

In his later years, Schmitt has remained active in various scientific and civic fields. He has worked as a consultant in business, geology, and public policy. He is also an adjunct professor of engineering physics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Schmitt has long advocated for using lunar resources, such as helium-3, for future energy. He believes that exploring the Moon is the fastest way to reach Mars. In 2018, a device called the Schmitt Space Communicator was launched in his honor. This tool demonstrated commercial Wi-Fi and data services in space.