Apollo 16 facts for kids
Apollo 16 was the tenth manned space flight in NASA's Apollo program. It was the 5th of six Apollo missions to land on the Moon. It was a J-Type mission, as having a longer stay on the Moon. Launched on April 16, 1972, Ken Mattingly stayed in orbit around the Moon in the Apollo Command Module, Casper. He spent 3 days, 9 hours and 28 minutes by himself, the longest solo US space flight. On the Moon, astronauts John Young and Charles Duke got to put the Lunar Roving Vehicle ("moon buggy") through a series of tests, including s-turns, hairpin turns and quick stops. John W. Young was the commander of the mission.
A satellite was launched on the return journey to examine the Moon's mass and gravitation, space particles near the Moon, and the interaction of magnetic fields between the Moon and Earth. The mission was stopped one day early as there were several problems with the spacecraft.
Images for kids
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Apollo 16 space-flown silver Robbins medallion
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Location of the Apollo 16 landing site
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John Young and Charles Duke training at the Rio Grande Gorge in New Mexico
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Young (right) and Duke training to drive the Lunar Roving Vehicle
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Apollo 16's launch vehicle by the VAB, January 27, 1972
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Apollo 16's Passive Seismic Experiment
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The Lunar Surface Magnetometer
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Artist's conception of subsatellite deployment
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Launch of Apollo 16
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Earth from Apollo 16 during the trans-lunar coast
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NASA officials conferring on whether to allow the Apollo 16 landing, April 20, 1972
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The view from the side of Stone Mountain, which Duke described as "spectacular"
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John Young adjusting the LRV's antenna near Shadow Rock
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Casper above the Moon
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Ken Mattingly performing his deep-space EVA, retrieving film cassettes from the CSM's exterior
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Command module Casper at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama
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Duke left a photo of his family on the Moon.
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See also
In Spanish: Apolo 16 para niños
