Cernan began his military career in 1956, when he graduated from Purdue University with a degree in electrical engineering and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy. He later earned his wings as a naval aviator and served in Vietnam, where he flew over 100 combat missions.
In 1966, Cernan was selected as one of the third group of astronauts by NASA. He flew his first space mission in 1969 as the lunar module pilot of the Apollo 10 mission, which served as a dress rehearsal for the first manned lunar landing.
Cernan’s second space mission was as the commander of the Apollo 17 mission in 1972, which was the final manned mission to the Moon. During this mission, he and his crew conducted extensive scientific experiments and explored the lunar surface, including the Taurus-Littrow valley.
Cernan retired from NASA in 1976 and went on to work in the private sector. He was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1993 and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012.
Eugene A. Cernan passed away on January 16, 2017 at the age of 82. He was survived by his wife and two daughters.