{"date":"2025-12-27","explanation":"Awkward and angular looking, Apollo 17's lun ar module Challenger was designed for flight in the near vacuum of space. Digit ally enhanced and reprocessed, this picture taken from Apollo 17's command modul e America shows Challenger's ascent stage in lunar orbit. Small reaction control thrusters are at the sides of the moonship with the bell of the ascent rocket e ngine underneath. The hatch that allowed access to the lunar surface is seen at the front, with a round radar antenna at the top. Mission commander Gene Cernan is clearly visible through the triangular window. This spaceship performed grace fully, landing on the Moon and returning the Apollo astronauts to the orbiting c ommand module in December of 1972. So where is Challenger now? While its descen t stage remains at the Apollo 17 landing site in the Taurus-Littrow valley, the ascent stage pictured was intentionally crashed nearby after being jettisoned fr om the command module prior to the astronauts' return to planet Earth.","hdurl": "https:\/\/apod.nasa.gov\/apod\/image\/2512\/AS17-149-22859-2v2SmlWmk.jpg","medi a_type":"image","service_version":"v1","title":"Apollo 17's Moonship","url":"htt ps:\/\/apod.nasa.gov\/apod\/image\/2512\/AS17-149-22859-2v2SmlWmk1024.jpg"}
