Harrison Schmitt
| Harrison Schmitt | |
| Born | July 3, 1935, Santa Rita, New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Died | — |
| Nationality | American |
| Category | Astronaut |
| Roles | Apollo 17 lunar module pilot; U.S. Senator from New Mexico (1977–1983) |
| Notable claim | Reported light flashes “just about continuously” when dark-adapted |
| Status | Living |
| Living | |
Harrison Hagan “Jack” Schmitt (born 1935) is a geologist who flew on Apollo 17 in December 1972, the last crewed Moon landing, and was the only professional scientist to walk on the Moon. He later served one term as a U.S. senator from New Mexico.[1]
In the Apollo 17 technical debriefing, released in PURSUE Release 01, he said: “We had light flashes just about continuously during the whole flight when we were dark adapted,” and mentioned one he thought might have been a flash on the lunar surface.[2]
Assessment
Astronauts’ light flashes are caused by high-energy cosmic-ray particles passing through the eye or optic nerve, confirmed by experiments on Apollo 16, 17 and Skylab. Flashes on the lunar surface can be caused by meteoroid impacts, which have since been recorded by telescopes on Earth.
See also
Further reading
- Harrison Schmitt (2006). Return to the Moon: Exploration, Enterprise, and Energy in the Human Settlement of Space (Amazon)
References
- ^ NASA, Apollo 17 Technical Crew Debriefing, January 4, 1973.
- ^ U.S. Department of War (2026). PURSUE Release 01, NASA-UAP-D006.