Apollo 16 pilot reflects moonwalk on 50th anniversary

Video from the channel AP Archive about Apollo 16, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 6:00. Language: English. Video type: News.

Charlie Duke, Apollo 16 astronaut, looks back on his mission 50 years later. He recalls that Apollo 16 was the fifth Moon landing and that they reached the Moon on 20 April 1972. Among the moments he remembers most vividly, he mentions the launch, the first view of Earth from about 20,000 miles away, the landing and the reentry. He admits that even today it moves him to think that he was on the Moon.

Duke recalls that the last three Apollo missions were cancelled and that, with work focused on the space station and the shuttle, deep space was neglected for longer than he expected. He describes the Moon as a desolate but beautiful environment, with mountains, contrasts, shades of grey and the black of space. He presents Apollo as an adventure rather than a religious, spiritual or philosophical experience.

Duke believes that NASA's future lies in deep space and in returning to the Moon, with a new spacecraft, a new vehicle and new rockets. Earth orbit would be left to companies such as SpaceX, Blue Origin or Boeing, dedicated to launching satellites. He is confident there will be a new Moon landing this decade.