WEBVTT FILE 1 00:00:00.200 --> 00:00:03.570 Later this year, Apollo 17 astronaut and geologist Jack 2 00:00:03.570 --> 00:00:06.239 Schmitt will mark fifty years since his first steps on 3 00:00:06.239 --> 00:00:10.510 the Moon in December 1972. Those footprints left an impression on 4 00:00:10.510 --> 00:00:12.512 both the Moon and on Schmitt. 5 00:00:16.249 --> 00:00:17.650 “No matter how much preparation 6 00:00:17.650 --> 00:00:24.057 you have for experiences like stepping on the Moon, it’s going 7 00:00:24.057 --> 00:00:26.459 to be more than you ever anticipated.” Schmitt was the 8 00:00:26.459 --> 00:00:29.262 first trained field geologist to observe the Moon up close and 9 00:00:29.262 --> 00:00:32.298 personal, and he found himself discovering unexpected things 10 00:00:32.298 --> 00:00:35.735 with every step. “Every rock that we examined had something 11 00:00:35.735 --> 00:00:39.973 new that I didn’t expect. And surprises are what geologists 12 00:00:39.973 --> 00:00:43.309 like. That’s why you’re exploring – to see the things 13 00:00:43.309 --> 00:00:45.612 that no one has ever seen before.” Schmitt spent a 14 00:00:45.612 --> 00:00:48.415 combined twenty-two hours outside of the spacecraft during 15 00:00:48.415 --> 00:00:51.418 his three excursions on the Moon. Before his own trip, 16 00:00:51.418 --> 00:00:54.487 Schmitt trained other Apollo astronauts. Sharing with them 17 00:00:54.487 --> 00:00:57.424 his in-depth knowledge of field work. “The main thing was to 18 00:00:57.424 --> 00:01:02.062 expose them to as many different geological experiences as we 19 00:01:02.062 --> 00:01:04.964 possibly could. Get them out in the field – don’t let them sit 20 00:01:04.964 --> 00:01:07.834 in the classroom.” He treated training scenarios on Earth the 21 00:01:07.834 --> 00:01:11.004 same way he would if they were on the moon. Including simulated 22 00:01:11.004 --> 00:01:13.773 equipment, backpacks and cameras strapped to the front of 23 00:01:13.773 --> 00:01:17.077 spacesuits. Astronauts could then focus on what differences 24 00:01:17.077 --> 00:01:19.646 in the rocks they were seeing, and what rock samples were best 25 00:01:19.646 --> 00:01:22.549 to collect. Essentially giving them the fundamental field 26 00:01:22.549 --> 00:01:25.952 geological experiences that they needed to succeed. The four or 27 00:01:25.952 --> 00:01:28.688 five days per month Schmitt spent training astronauts in the 28 00:01:28.688 --> 00:01:31.758 field really did made a difference. “The quality and 29 00:01:31.758 --> 00:01:35.929 diversity of the Apollo sample collection, independent of 30 00:01:35.929 --> 00:01:39.566 Apollo 17 where you had an experienced geologist, the 31 00:01:39.566 --> 00:01:42.235 quality and diversity of that sample collection is just 32 00:01:42.235 --> 00:01:44.104 remarkable.” Fortunately, the current 33 00:01:44.104 --> 00:01:47.006 Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission, or LRO, is changing 34 00:01:47.006 --> 00:01:50.076 the game; bringing back high- quality photography of the Moon 35 00:01:50.076 --> 00:01:53.079 that Schmitt only wished he’d seen before his own trip. “The 36 00:01:53.079 --> 00:01:57.150 Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter program now has provided us with 37 00:01:57.150 --> 00:02:00.954 a much, much higher resolution suite of photographs for any 38 00:02:00.954 --> 00:02:03.456 future astronauts.” What we learned from the Apollo missions 39 00:02:03.456 --> 00:02:06.526 helped lay the groundwork for LRO, and LRO will help guide 40 00:02:06.526 --> 00:02:11.030 future explorers. “Every new environment in which a geologist 41 00:02:11.030 --> 00:02:14.801 works is usually very different than the last, but you have 42 00:02:14.801 --> 00:02:18.071 learned things from your previous experiences that do in 43 00:02:18.071 --> 00:02:23.510 fact enable you to maximize the value of your new experience.” 44 00:02:23.510 --> 00:02:26.679 Schmitt has his fingers crossed for future Moon exploration, a 45 00:02:26.679 --> 00:02:29.616 landscape he considers holds answers to many questions about 46 00:02:29.616 --> 00:02:32.886 the early solar system. “You can hear people talk about it, but 47 00:02:32.886 --> 00:02:37.857 you can’t absorb it until you’re there.”