By Jennifer Keiper, WLS-AM 890 News
(CHICAGO) An astronaut, who’s name is on a west suburban space center, has died.
Eugene Cernan, Commander of NASA’s Apollo 17 mission, was the last person to walk on the moon. That was in 1972.
Cernan died in Texas on Monday following ongoing health issues. He was 82. His family says his passion for lunar exploration never waned and he encouraged the nation’s leaders and young people to not let him remain the last man to walk on the moon.
Cernan grew up in west suburban Bellwood and graduated from Proviso East High School and Purdue University. Triton College in west suburban River Grove named it’s Earth and Space Center after him.
A documentary about Cernan’s life, “The Last Man on the Moon” was released in 2016.
© WLS-AM 890 News
