. >> apolo 15 launched july 26th, 1971 with david scott, james irwin and alfred warden uh barred.lo 16 launched in 1972. it carried gong young, maddingly and charles duke. they were the first missions to use the lunar roving vehicle. but the apolo missions were winding down. would maner ever return to the moon? the astronauts of apolo 17 certainly hoped so. their amazing and what would turn out to be final mission after the break. >>> not long after neil armstrong made his giant leap foreman kind a new expression entered our lexicon. if we can put a man on the moon why can't we -- fill in the blank. keep gum from sticking to our shoes. a joke, yes, but it showed how americans viewed the apolo as the ultimate human achievement up to that point. or will it be for all time? >> have i been asked a million times how does it feel to make that first step on the moon? i knew when i made that first step it was mine. nobody could take it away from me. >> yet he almost gave up that chance. he had done almost everything an astronaut could do and even buzzing the moon in apolo 10, except he ne