Apollo 14 Mission

Apollo 14 was the eighth crewed mission for the Apollo program and the third to land on the Moon. During this mission, NASA astronaut Stuart Roosa carried tree seeds around the Moon. These seed were later planted on Earth and become known as Apollo Moon Trees.

On January 31, 1971, the Saturn V rocket lifted off at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center carrying Commander Alan B. Shepard, Command Module Pilot Stuart A. Roosa, and Lunar Module Pilot Edgar D. Mitchell. The crew carried out the longest list of experiments on the lunar surface and in lunar orbit during that time.

Some of those experiments included photographing the future landing site of Apollo 16, observing and documenting lunar landmarks that would make future landings more accurate, and exploring the Fra Mauro crater, which was the destination that was previously aborted by the Apollo 13 mission. Additionally, other objectives included collecting lunar regolith samples, testing scientific instruments and tools on the lunar surface, and capturing images of deep-space phenomena.

1. Apollo 14 brought home 94 pounds of rock and soil samples.
2. While the four previous moonwalkers hand-carried the supplies they needed to conduct their activities on the lunar surface, Shepard and Mitchell employed a labor-saving invention to help them: the wheel.
3. At the end of the second moonwalk, Shepard hit two golf balls using the head of a 6 iron golf club attached to the handle of a sample-collection tool. One of the balls was later found in a crater, making this the first extraterrestrial hole in one.