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Final Apollo pioneers witness new lunar push
With the death of Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell on 31 March 2026, only five astronauts who ventured beyond Earth orbit during the Apollo missions are still alive. More than half a century after the last human walked on the Moon, global efforts to return are intensifying.
Artemis delays and rival ambitions
NASA's Artemis programme aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon this decade. Originally slated for 2025, the first crewed Artemis II flight has been postponed to 2026. Meanwhile, China targets a 2030 crewed landing, following its 2024 far-side lunar probe success. Private ventures, including Boeing's troubled Starliner and SpaceX's explosive Starship tests, have faced repeated setbacks.
Jim Lovell: From lunar orbits to near-disaster
Lovell, who died at 98, commanded Apollo 13 after piloting the first lunar mission, Apollo 8, in 1968. His leadership during the 1970 oxygen-tank explosion became legendary, later depicted in Ron Howard's Apollo 13. Post-NASA, he worked in telecommunications until retiring. His wife Marilyn, a media focal point during the crisis, passed in August 2023.
The remaining Moonwalkers
Buzz Aldrin: Second man, enduring legacy
Aldrin, 96, followed Neil Armstrong onto the lunar surface on 21 July 1969. His famous "magnificent desolation" remark captured the stark lunar landscape. Though he resented being second, he embraced his role as a space advocate, even confronting a Moon-landing denier with a punch at age 72. Aldrin later joined polar expeditions, including an Antarctic trip at 86, and married for the fourth time in 2023.
"I don't think we should just go there and come back-we did that with Apollo."
Buzz Aldrin
Charlie Duke: Youngest lunar visitor
At 36, Duke became the youngest person to walk on the Moon during Apollo 16 in 1972. He later recalled the "spectacular terrain" and the dramatic contrast between the Moon's horizon and the blackness of space. Before his Moonwalk, Duke served as capsule communicator for Apollo 11's landing, uttering the relieved "we're breathing again" after Armstrong's touchdown. Now 89, he lives in Texas with his wife Dorothy and supports NASA's Artemis missions, cautioning that the rugged south-pole landing site will pose challenges.
Fred Haise: Survivor of Apollo 13
Haise, 90, was part of the Apollo 13 crew that narrowly survived an in-flight explosion. Though celebrated upon return, he expressed surprise at the fame, telling Johnny Carson, "I feel like maybe I missed something while I was up there." His planned Apollo 19 mission was cancelled due to budget cuts. Haise later tested the prototype space shuttle Enterprise and worked in aerospace before retiring.
Harrison Schmitt: Scientist and senator
Schmitt, 87, stands out as the only professional geologist to walk on the Moon, during Apollo 17 in 1972. He trained fellow astronauts in lunar geology before joining NASA in 1965. After leaving the agency in 1975, he served one term as a U.S. senator from New Mexico and has since consulted across industries. Schmitt is also known for disputing climate-change consensus.
David Scott: First lunar driver
Scott, 93, commanded Apollo 15 in 1971 and became one of the first to drive the Lunar Roving Vehicle, reaching speeds of 8 mph (12 km/h). He described the thrill of deploying the rover, saying, "The greatest thrill was to get it out, turn it on, and it actually worked." Post-NASA, Scott held management roles and consulted on films like Apollo 13 and the HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon.
Legacy and the next frontier
The remaining Apollo astronauts continue to inspire new generations of explorers. As NASA, China, and private companies race to return humans to the Moon, the pioneers' firsthand experiences underscore both the triumphs and perils of deep-space travel.
