Walkin' on the Moon
Apollo 14 was the fourth crewed moon landing mission (but the third to touch down, since Apollo 13 didn't make it all the way) and is most famous for being the first and only mission in which an astronaut played golf on the moon. Click through this gallery to see photos from the adventures of the Apollo 14 crew.
Here: Apollo 14 Cmdr. Alan Shepard stands near the Modular Equipment Transporter, which the astronauts renamed the "rickshaw." The cart was used to tote items like cameras, tools and sample cases around the lunar surface.
Training at Kennedy Space Center
The prime crew of Apollo 14 pose with a lunar module mock-up during their training at Kennedy Space Center. From the top: lunar module pilot Edgar D. Mitchell, command module pilot Stuart A. Roosa, and Cmdr. Alan B. Shepard Jr.
Calm, Cool and Collected
Aboard a NASA motor vessel retriever, the Apollo 14 lunar landing mission prime crew —(from the left) Cmdr. Alan B. Shepard, command module pilot Stuart A. Roosa, and lunar module pilot Edgar D. Mitchell, — pose with a command module trainer during water egress training in the Gulf of Mexico on Oct. 24, 1970.
Low-G Practice on the KC-135
To train for the low-gravity conditions on the lunar surface, astronaut Alan B. Shepard, Jr., pulls the modular equipment transporter aboard and Air Force KC-135. His crewmate, Edgar D. Mitchell, joins him for the training.
Preparing for a Test Flight
On Dec. 14, 1970, astronaut Alan B. Shepard, Jr., prepares for a test flight on the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle at Ellington Air Force Base in Houston. Shepard, chosen as commander for the Apollo 14 lunar landing mission, would control the lunar module Antares with astronaut Edgar D. Mitchell, the lunar module pilot.
A Unique Launch View
On Jan. 31, 1971, Apollo 14 lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center. In this image, the 363-foot Saturn V rocket assembly rises from Earth framed by dead, moss-covered trees in a dark foreground.
Golf on the Moon!
On Feb. 5, 1971, Apollo 14 astronaut Alan Shepard became the first person to play golf in space after he brought a six-iron and golf balls to the moon. Shepard attached the six-iron to one of his lunar excavation tools and used it to hit two golf balls during a live television transmission.
Visiting Possibilities
This photo taken from the Apollo 14 spacecraft shows the proposed Apollo 16 landing site at the Descartes Highlands region of the moon.
A Lunar Landmark
The proposed Apollo 16 land site called Descartes is near this large bright crater. Measuring about 0.6 miles (1 km) in diameter, this crater is an excellent landmark thanks to its distinctive ray pattern.
Antares at its Best
At the end of the Apollo 14 astronauts' first moonwalk, one of the crewmembers snapped this image of the lunar module looking up from the ladder. The rendezvous radar antenna tops the module and an RCS thruster sits at the far right. A VHF antenna stands out on the right of the module and the optical alignment telescope sits at the center — the black circle with the wide white ring surrounding it. In the background, a crescent Earth is visible in the far distance.
Mission Control
On Jan. 31, 1971, Mission Control for the Apollo 14 mission is abuzz with activity. The Apollo 14 lunar module, atop the Saturn IVB rocket stage is visible on the screen to the right. This photograph also shows the first color television transmission from the Apollo 14 command module.
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