Lunar basalt 70017 Lunar basalt 70017 The Lunar basalt 70017 is a Moon rock gathered in 1972 by astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt on the Apollo 17 mission near their Apollo lunar lander from the valley of Taurus-Littrow on the moon and divided into 1.1 gram pieces. Lunar basalt 70017 is a Moon basalt that was last collected by astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt on the last manned Moon landing, Apollo 17. After gathering the basalt rock from the surface of the Moon the two astronauts made a speech referring to "the children of the world". They wished that parts of
Fallen Astronaut condition that it be displayed "with good taste and without publicity". The replica was given to the Smithsonian Institution on April 17, 1972, the day after CBS anchorman Walter Cronkite referred to the "Fallen Astronaut" and plaque as the first art installation on the Moon during the broadcast of the Apollo 16 launch. It is now on display with a replica of the plaque in the Museum's National Mall Building in the Space Race Wing, Gallery 114. In May 1972, Scott learned that Van Hoeydonck planned to make and sell more replicas. Believing that this would be a violation of