Colonization of the Moon the Apollo 12 mission landed next to the Surveyor 3 spacecraft, demonstrating precision landing capability. The use of a manned vehicle on the Moon's surface was demonstrated in 1971 with the Lunar Rover during Apollo 15. Apollo 16 made the first landing within the rugged lunar highlands. However, interest in further exploration of the Moon was beginning to wane among the American public. In 1972, Apollo 17 was the final Apollo lunar mission, and further planned missions were scrapped at the directive of President Nixon. Instead, focus was turned to the Space Shuttle and crewed missions in near Earth orbit.
From the Earth to the Moon First Men in the Moon") inspired the first science fiction film, "A Trip to the Moon", made in 1902 by Georges Méliès. In 1958, another film adaptation of this story was released, titled "From the Earth to the Moon". It was one of the last films made under the RKO Pictures banner. The story also became the basis for the very loose adaptation "Jules Verne's Rocket to the Moon" (1967), a caper-style British comedy starring Burl Ives and Terry-Thomas. The 1961 Czechoslovak film "The Fabulous Baron Munchausen" combines characters and plot elements from the Verne novel with those of the