Ronald Evans (astronaut)

Ronald E. Evans Jr.
NASA Astronaut
Nationality	American
Born	(1933-11-10)November 10, 1933 St. Francis, Kansas, U.S.
Died	April 7, 1990(1990-04-07) (aged 56) Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S.
Other names	Ronald Ellwin Evans Jr.
Other occupation	Naval aviator, engineer
Alma mater	University of Kansas, B.S. 1956 NPS, M.S. 1964
Rank	Captain, USN
Time in space	12d 13h 52m
Selection	1966 NASA Group 5
Total EVAs	1
Total EVA time	1 hour 5 minutes
Missions	Apollo 17
Mission insignia
Retirement	March 15, 1977
Awards

Ronald Ellwin "Ron" Evans Jr. (November 10, 1933 – April 7, 1990), (Capt, USN), was an American naval officer and aviator, electrical engineer, aeronautical engineer, and NASA astronaut, also one of only 24 people to have flown to the Moon.

Evans was selected as an astronaut by NASA as part of Astronaut Group 5 in 1966 and made his first and only flight into space as Command Module Pilot aboard Apollo 17 in 1972, the last manned mission to the Moon to date, with Commander Eugene Cernan and Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt. During the flight, he orbited the Moon as his two crewmates descended to the surface. Consequently, he is the last person to orbit the Moon alone and holds the record for the longest lunar orbit by a human at 148 hours. In 1975 Evans served as backup Command Module Pilot for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission.

Evans was born on November 10, 1933, in St. Francis, Kansas, to parents Clarence Ellwin Evans (1911–1985) and Marie A. Evans (née Priebe; 1913–1992). He had two siblings, Larry Joe Evans (1935–1951) and Jay Evans. He was active in the Boy Scouts of America where he achieved its second highest rank, Life Scout. He graduated from Highland Park High School in Topeka, Kansas in 1951, received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Kansas in 1956, and a Master of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in 1964. He was a member of Tau Beta Pi, Society of Sigma Xi, and Sigma Nu.