Space questions, answered
Who has been to the Moon?
Twelve people have walked on the Moon — all NASA astronauts on Apollo missions between 1969 and 1972. In total twenty-four people have travelled to the Moon; twelve of them set foot on it.
The twelve moonwalkers, in order, were: Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin (Apollo 11, 1969); Pete Conrad and Alan Bean (Apollo 12); Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell (Apollo 14); David Scott and James Irwin (Apollo 15); John Young and Charlie Duke (Apollo 16); and Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt (Apollo 17, 1972). Cernan was the last to leave the surface, in December 1972 — no one has walked on the Moon since.
Twenty-four people have flown to the Moon altogether. The others orbited without landing — command module pilots like Michael Collins, and the crews of Apollo 8 and 10 who flew there before a landing was attempted. Three men flew to the Moon twice: Jim Lovell, John Young, and Gene Cernan.
NASA's Artemis program aims to return crew to the surface, this time near the lunar south pole, on Artemis III — the first crewed landing since 1972.
Artemis III — the next crewed landing →Fly Apollo 17's landing valley →
People also ask
Who was the first person on the Moon?
Neil Armstrong, on 21 July 1969 (UTC), during Apollo 11, followed about twenty minutes later by Buzz Aldrin.
Who was the last person on the Moon?
Gene Cernan, commander of Apollo 17, was the last to step off the surface, in December 1972.
Has anyone else landed people on the Moon?
No. Only the United States, through NASA's Apollo program, has landed humans on the Moon. Other nations and companies have landed robotic spacecraft.
Sources: NASA — Apollo program