Apollo 17’s command module was named America, and it orbited the Moon during the final Apollo landing mission.
Commander Eugene Cernan, command module pilot Ronald Evans, and lunar module pilot Harrison Schmitt launched on 7 December 1972. Cernan and Schmitt descended in the lunar module Challenger, while Evans remained in America conducting orbital observations.
America carried cameras, mapping equipment, and scientific instruments used to study the Moon from orbit. Evans also performed a deep-space spacewalk on the return journey to retrieve film and other equipment from the service module.
The spacecraft names can cause confusion because Apollo 17 used America for the command module and Challenger for the lunar module. Apollo 12’s command module was Yankee Clipper, while Apollo 14’s was Kitty Hawk. Apollo 17 ended the series of crewed lunar landings in December 1972.