Apollo 17 returned the first orange lunar soil discovered by astronauts.
Harrison Schmitt noticed the unusual orange material during a traverse at the Taurus–Littrow valley in December 1972. Schmitt, a geologist and Apollo 17’s lunar module pilot, and commander Eugene Cernan collected the soil for laboratory study. Scientists later determined that the orange glass formed during ancient volcanic activity, when molten material cooled rapidly.
The discovery showed the value of sending a trained geologist to the lunar surface. Apollo 17’s crew also collected dark volcanic rock and explored landforms shaped by impacts and eruptions. The mission’s samples continue to be studied because they preserve evidence of the Moon’s early interior and volcanic history.
The soil was orange in appearance, but it was not evidence of modern vegetation or weathering. Lunar color differences generally reflect mineral composition, volcanic glass, and the effects of impacts.