[KSP/RO] Apollo 17: End of the Beginning – Full Mission Cinematic | The Final Lunar Landing

"As we leave the Moon and Taurus–Littrow, we leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind." — Eugene A. Cernan, Commander of Apollo 17 This film once again uses Kerbal Space Program as its medium, built upon hundreds of hours of authentic NASA mission audio, complete mission logs, and astronaut oral histories. It covers the entire flight, from rollout to splashdown. Running 120 minutes, it recreates the finale of the Apollo program—humanity's last mission to the Moon—with a commitment to full-process, full-record, full-restoration storytelling. All voice audio sources are from NASA and the U.S. National Archives. Special Thanks: David Woods – Apollo Flight Journal Ben Feist – Apollo in Real Time Eric M. Jones – Apollo Lunar Surface Journal NASA Charon_S丶 Chris_Pan David Woods and his Apollo Flight Journal (AFJ) provided immense help. He shared his still-unpublished Apollo 17 flight journal covering the entire mission, along with flight data, mission plans, astronaut interviews, technical annotations, and six months of email correspondence. His contribution has been enormous. Ben Feist offered tremendous support. When I asked about onboard audio, he directed me to the DVD Apollo 17: End of the Beginning (Spacecraft Films)—the source of the Saturn V launch audio in this film. His Apollo in Real Time (AiRT) provided the complete mission timeline, footage, audio references, and synced timelines. A significant portion of the audio was sourced with AiRT's help—an invaluable reference. The late Dr. Eric M. Jones's Apollo Lunar Surface Journal (ALSJ) provided essential material. The A17LSJ contains the complete mission timeline from PDI to return orbit, voice transcripts, astronaut accounts, post-mission reports, and all TV broadcasts in .RA format. Every piece of lunar surface text in this film comes directly from the ALSJ. About Dr. Jones: He passed away on July 5, 2025, in New South Wales. The very first journal he compiled was for Apollo 17. His ALSJ legacy is priceless for researchers, enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the lunar missions of the last century. The NASA Johnson Space Center and the U.S. National Archives provided all the audio materials. Nearly all clear voice audio originates from NASA and NARA, with reference to AFJ and AiRT—the "authentic" and "authoritative" historical foundation. Charon_S丶 created the 1.5-meter resolution terrain for the Apollo 17 landing site, the orange soil, and the Saturn V launch and separation effects in KSP, with countless guidance over two months. He forged the solid simulation framework. Chris_Pan developed the LM landing program (PEGlandLM) capable of operating within a Principia mod. In the most elegant way, he enabled precise landing in the Taurus–Littrow valley, with the descent profile closely following the real-world mission. It is "precise" and "impeccable." He also created a universal reentry guidance program (UEntry) for the Command Module, following the real "reentry corridor" to splashdown. He added the word "precision" to this film. Learn more about Chris GNC Suite: https://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/... They are the ones who made the "impossible" possible. This is the final chapter of the Apollo program, the swan song of the 20th century—the last time humanity walked on the Moon. This is my longest, most work-intensive, most content-rich project. It is also the last time I will use a game to tell the story of that great, magnificent, and romantic human endeavor to fly to the Moon, from a century past. This is my most complete presentation of a lunar mission, and my deepest interpretation of a story that began fifty-four years ago. Finally, President Richard Nixon's address to the astronauts after they returned to lunar orbit: "As Challenger leaves the surface of the Moon, we are conscious not of what we leave behind, but of what lies before us. The dreams that draw humanity forward seem always to be redeemed if we believe in them strongly enough and pursue them with diligence and courage. This is one of the few events that so clearly marks the passage of history from one epoch to another. If we understand this about the last flight of Apollo, then truly we shall have touched a many-splendored thing. To Eugene Cernan, Jack Schmitt, and Ronald Evans, we say: Godspeed, and safe return to this good Earth." Dedicated to Apollo 17, to its crew, to that golden age when humanity dared to turn the impossible into the possible, and to all who still look up at the stars today. Dedicated in particular memory of Apollo program researcher Dr. Eric M. Jones (1944–2025). The Apollo Lunar Surface Journal, which he compiled in the early days of the World Wide Web, ensures this history can be heard, remembered, and retold. Thank you for watching. XiaoHeiKerman