Apollo 16

Also known as Apollo XVI

fifth Moon landing and tenth crewed flight of the United States Apollo program

AI overview

Apollo 16 was the fifth mission to land humans on the Moon as part of the U.S. Apollo program. It represents a significant achievement in space exploration during the era when America was intensively exploring the lunar surface.

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Wikidata facts

Official name: Apollo 16
Duration: 957065
Mass: 5440.8
Image: John W. Young on the Moon.jpg

Show 7 more facts

Commons gallery: Apollo 16
Commons category: Apollo 16
UTC date of spacecraft launch: 1972-04-16
UTC date of spacecraft landing: 1972-04-27
periapsis: 20.2
apoapsis: 108.3
orbits completed: 64

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Article

Apollo 16 (April 16–27, 1972) was the tenth crewed mission in the United States Apollo space program, administered by NASA, and the fifth and penultimate to land on the Moon. It was the second of Apollo's "J missions", with an extended stay on the lunar surface, a focus on science, and the use of the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV). The landing and exploration were in the Descartes Highlands, a site chosen because some scientists expected it to be an area formed by volcanic action, though this proved not to be the case.

The mission was crewed by Commander John Young, Lunar Module Pilot Charles Duke and Command Module Pilot Ken Mattingly. Launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 16, 1972, Apollo 16 experienced a number of minor glitches en route to the Moon. These culminated with a problem with the spacecraft's main engine that resulted in a six-hour delay in the Moon landing as NASA managers contemplated having the astronauts abort the mission and return to Earth, before deciding the problem could be overcome. Although they permitted the lunar landing, NASA had the astronauts return from the mission one day earlier than planned.