Nearly 54 years ago, Apollo 17 blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, bound for the moon. Standing alongside legendary astronauts like Neil Armstrong and Dick Gordon, a 16-year-old from Lancashire, England, was present to witness the final manned lunar landing mission.
Ahead of the screening of a documentary about his experience, Preston astronomer Dermot Gethings recalled how he was hand-picked by the United States embassy and NASA to witness the launch on December 7, 1972. "As it launched there was this incredible adrenaline and a shockwave that rattled every bone in your body," said Gethings, now 70.
Gethings' lifelong interest in astronomy began at age 10 when he first saw the Milky Way. This fascination led him to start an astronomy club at his school, organizing talks and public exhibitions. His efforts caught the attention of the Lancashire Evening Post, and subsequently, the U.S. Embassy in London.
"A few months after the photographs were published I received a letter out of the blue from the United States Embassy in London," he recalled. "It said 'We have a very special project to discuss with you regarding the forthcoming Apollo 17 mission.'" Gethings was one of 16 UK students invited for an interview at the embassy, with one to be selected by NASA for an all-expenses-paid, 19-day trip to witness the Apollo 17 launch. He received a letter of congratulations inviting him on the trip.
After boarding his first aeroplane, Gethings embarked on a tour that included meeting Neil Armstrong, dining at the White House, and visiting NASA bases across a dozen states. During his trip, Gethings had a memorable accidental encounter with Neil Armstrong. "On the day of the launch I stepped out of my motel room and clumsily walked into a tall gentleman," Gethings said. "I stood on his foot by accident and I was really embarrassed. I looked up and the man smiling down at me was Neil Armstrong!" The pair spoke about the upcoming launch, and Armstrong's wife took a photograph of them. Gethings described the moment as "fantastic."
In the early hours of December 7, 1972, Gethings sat near Armstrong in the VIP viewing box at the Kennedy Space Center for the lift-off at 00:33 local time. They were approximately three miles from the launchpad. "My heart was pumping in my chest," he remembered. "And when the vehicle cleared the tower suddenly you got punched in the chest by a shockwave. The ground beneath your feet was like an earthquake and the stands were rattling."
During the 14-day Apollo 17 mission, commander Eugene Cernan and his crew performed three moonwalks, marking the last time humans walked on the moon. Gethings was at the Space Center in Houston, Texas, when the astronauts spoke directly to the students and collected a moon rock from the surface. This moon rock was later divided into 80 pieces and distributed to each student, with Gethings becoming the custodian of the UK's Apollo 17 Goodwill Moon Rock.
Upon his return, Gethings presented the moon rock to Prime Minister Edward Heath at 10 Downing Street in July 1973. Gethings has continued his passion for astronomy, becoming a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and vice chair of Preston & District Astronomical Society. His story is featured in a documentary by University of Lancashire graduate Sarah Bullough, titled "The Custodian of the Goodwill Moon Rock."