Gene Cernan
Gemini 9A and Apollo 10 and 17 astronaut, the last person to walk on the Moon, whose crews reported “flashing lights,” “sparkles” and particles
| Gene Cernan | |
| Born | March 14, 1934, Chicago, Illinois |
|---|---|
| Died | January 16, 2017 |
| Nationality | American |
| Category | Astronaut |
| Roles | Gemini 9A, Apollo 10, Apollo 17 commander |
| Notable claim | Reported bright “particles” outside Apollo 17 and flashing lights on Gemini 9 |
| Status | Historical |
| Historical | |
Eugene Andrew Cernan (1934–2017) was a Navy pilot who flew Gemini 9A (1966), Apollo 10 (1969) and commanded Apollo 17 (1972); he was the last person to walk on the Moon.[1]
PURSUE released a 1966 debriefing in which Cernan and Tom Stafford describe “flashing lights” and “sparkles” on Gemini 9, and Apollo 17 audio in which Cernan, Schmitt and Ron Evans describe bright “particles” outside the spacecraft on the way to the Moon.[2]
Assessment
Both observations fit ice and small debris near the spacecraft lit by the sun. In interviews Cernan said he had never seen anything in space he would call an alien craft.
See also
Further reading
- Eugene Cernan & Don Davis (1999). The Last Man on the Moon (Amazon)
References
- ^ NASA biographical data, Eugene A. Cernan.
- ^ U.S. Department of War (2026). PURSUE Releases 02 and 03, NASA-UAP-D009 and D022.