Human travel beyond Earth’s protective orbit is a feat achieved by only a small group of explorers. The journey to the Moon remains the most ambitious destination humans have ever reached. All successful manned lunar missions were executed by the United States during the Apollo program. This program spanned a brief but impactful period of technological triumphs.
The Definitive Count of Lunar Walkers
Only 12 individuals have physically stood and walked upon the surface of the Moon. This count applies exclusively to the American Apollo program astronauts. All twelve were men who successfully completed a descent in the Lunar Module between 1969 and 1972. The criterion requires the individual to have performed an Extravehicular Activity (EVA) outside the landing craft.
This unique group of lunar surface explorers was made up of astronauts from six distinct missions. Each successful landing mission carried a crew of three, but only two crew members descended in the Lunar Module. The first person to step onto the Moon was Neil Armstrong, followed shortly by Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, both from the Apollo 11 mission. The final person to walk on the Moon was Eugene Cernan, who departed the surface in December 1972.
The Apollo Missions and the Names of Those Who Landed
The achievement of landing humans on the Moon occurred across six separate missions, beginning with the historic Apollo 11. Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin were the first two to walk on the Sea of Tranquility on July 20, 1969. The second landing, Apollo 12, saw Charles “Pete” Conrad and Alan Bean explore the Ocean of Storms in November of the same year.
The third successful landing was Apollo 14, where Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell conducted geological surveys in the Fra Mauro formation. David Scott and James Irwin piloted the Lunar Roving Vehicle for the first time during the Apollo 15 mission, exploring the Hadley Rille and Apennine Mountains. The fifth landing, Apollo 16, brought John Young and Charles Duke to the Descartes Highlands.
The final two individuals to walk on the Moon were Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt during Apollo 17, the last mission of the program. Schmitt, a trained geologist, was the only scientist among the twelve to land on the Moon.
Astronauts Who Reached Lunar Orbit But Did Not Land
A total of 24 unique American astronauts traveled to the Moon’s vicinity. This group includes the 12 lunar walkers and 12 individuals who made the journey but did not descend to the surface. The distinction arises from the mission architecture, where one crew member, the Command Module Pilot (CMP), remained in lunar orbit. The Command Module served as the mothership and the only vehicle capable of returning the crew to Earth.
Command Module Pilots
For the six successful landing missions, the CMPs were:
- Michael Collins (Apollo 11)
- Richard Gordon (Apollo 12)
- Stuart Roosa (Apollo 14)
- Alfred Worden (Apollo 15)
- Ken Mattingly (Apollo 16)
- Ronald Evans (Apollo 17)
These six individuals orbited the Moon alone for days, sometimes passing over the far side and losing all contact with Earth and their crewmates. The total count of those who journeyed to the Moon also includes the crews of Apollo 8, 10, and 13, which were circumlunar or lunar orbital missions without a landing attempt.
The Current Status of Manned Lunar Travel
The era of human lunar surface exploration came to an abrupt close with the return of Apollo 17 in December 1972. Commander Eugene Cernan was the last person to step off the Moon, marking the end of the Apollo program after only four years of successful landings. The decision to halt the program stemmed from a combination of factors, primarily driven by a lack of sustained political will and significant budget constraints.
Once the geopolitical objective of winning the Space Race was achieved, public and governmental interest waned. Shifting priorities toward developing the Space Shuttle program and the Skylab space station led to the cancellation of the planned Apollo 18, 19, and 20 missions. Since Cernan’s departure, no human has traveled beyond low Earth orbit for over five decades.