Apollo 16 Lands in the Lunar Highlands

Thanks to data provided by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission, we are able to visualize the Apollo 16 landing site in the Descartes highlands on the nearside of the Moon, where the astronauts landed in April 1972. The mission was crewed by Commander John Young, Lunar Module Pilot Charles Duke, and Command Module Pilot Thomas K. Mattingly. This visualization contains audio transmissions from portions of the mission between the astronauts and CapCom James Irwin, and a view of the 3 EVA (extravehicular activity) routes the astronauts took over the course of three days, including their visit to North Ray crater. The experiments conducted and lunar samples collected by the crew are still providing valuable data about our Moon to scientists today. Video Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center Data visualization by: Ernie Wright (USRA) Produced and Edited by: David Ladd (AIMM) Music Provided by Universal Production Music: “The Orion Arm” - Christian Telford, David Travis Edwards, Matthew St Laurent, & Robert Anthony Navarro. While the video in its entirety can be shared without permission, the music and some individual imagery may have been obtained through permission and may not be excised or remixed in other products. Specific details on such imagery may be found here: