Apollo Program · Third crewed lunar landing
Apollo 14
- Launch
- 1971-01-31 21:03 UTC
- Return
- 1971-02-09 21:05 UTC
- Duration
- 9 days 00 hours 01 minute
Mission summary
Apollo 14 completed the Fra Mauro objective Apollo 13 had been forced to abort. Alan Shepard — the first American in space ten years earlier — became the oldest person ever to walk on the Moon at 47, and famously hit two golf balls during the second EVA. The crew deployed the second full ALSEP and the second laser-ranging retroreflector, and pulled the MET geology cart toward Cone Crater, turning back roughly 30 meters from the rim after navigation difficulty in the boulder field. Stu Roosa orbited the Moon alone in CSM 'Kitty Hawk', carrying the seeds that became the 'Moon trees' on his return.
Crew
| Astronaut | Prior missions | Subsequent missions |
|---|---|---|
|
Alan B. Shepard Jr. Commander |
Mercury-Redstone 3 (Freedom 7) — first American in space, 1961 | None — final flight; oldest astronaut to walk on the Moon (47) |
|
Stuart A. Roosa Command Module Pilot |
None (first flight) | None |
|
Edgar D. Mitchell Lunar Module Pilot |
None (first flight) | None |
Launch vehicle
Saturn V SA-509
Lunar landing
Open on the surface map →- Site
- Fra Mauro Highlands
- Coordinates
- -3.6453° lat, -17.4714° lon
- Touchdown
- 1971-02-05 09:18 UTC
- EVAs
- 2 · total 09:23:00
Objectives
- Land at Fra Mauro Highlands — the site originally targeted by Apollo 13.
- Deploy the second full ALSEP package and laser-ranging retroreflector.
- Conduct the program's first 'modular equipment transporter' (MET) cart geology traverse to Cone Crater.
Milestones
| When | Event |
|---|---|
| 1971-01-31 21:03 UTC |
Launched from LC-39A after a 40-minute weather hold.
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/missions/apollo14.html |
| 1971-02-04 | LM-CSM docking required six attempts due to a docking probe latching anomaly. |
| 1971-02-05 09:18 UTC | Shepard and Mitchell landed LM 'Antares' at Fra Mauro — first highlands landing. |
| 1971-02-06 | Second EVA: traverse toward Cone Crater. Pulled the MET cart up the slope; turned back roughly 30 m short of the rim due to navigation difficulty in the boulder field. |
| 1971-02-06 | Shepard hit two golf balls on the lunar surface using a contingency-sample handle and a smuggled six-iron club head. |
| 1971-02-09 21:05 UTC | Splashed down in the Pacific; recovered by USS New Orleans. |
Primary sources
Last updated 2026-05-09 15:17 UTC.