← Back to Catalog
Apollo 17 Technical Crew Debriefing (U) (MSC-07631)
Evans describes seeing a fireball with a tunnel-like visual effect during re-entry; Schmitt reports continuous light flashes during the flight when dark-adapted, including one flash he believed was on the lunar surface.
Analysis
Just the title page of Apollo 17's technical crew debriefing -- originally classified CONFIDENTIAL with a 90-day automatic declassification window. The document itself (prepared January 4, 1973 by the Crew Training and Simulation Division) isn't reproduced beyond this cover sheet. The short declassification timeline indicates operational rather than strategic sensitivity. Included in the release likely as provenance documentation for the Apollo 17 transcript excerpts elsewhere in the collection.
Key Findings
- Document originally classified CONFIDENTIAL, now fully declassified under E.O. 13526, Sec 3.3(a)
- Prepared by the Crew Training and Simulation Division (distinct from the science debriefing)
- Automatic 90-day declassification window indicates tactical rather than strategic sensitivity
- Restricted from foreign government release under NASA Policy Directive 1382.2
Page Extractions 2 pages
Page 1
View PDF ↗statushas_content
doc_typereport
classificationCONFIDENTIAL (now DECLASSIFIED)
page_descriptionTitle page of Apollo 17 Technical Crew Debriefing from NASA, prepared January 4, 1973.
dates
- 1973-01-04 | date of debriefing preparation
- 1973-04-04 | declassification date (90 days from published date)
- 2026-05-01 | shown as date of guide (M/05)
organizations
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) | government_agency
- Training Office | NASA division
- Crew Training and Simulation Division | NASA division
- Manned Spacecraft Center | NASA facility
- Houston, Texas | location of facility
references
- MSC-07631 | document identifier
- Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) | public disclosure exemption
- NASA Policy Directive 1382.2 | referenced for requests from non-US Government entities
- E.O. 13526, Sec 3.3(a) | declassification basis
- NASA Declassification Guide | declassification reference
quotes
- "APOLLO 17 TECHNICAL CREW DEBRIEFING (U)" | document title
- "JANUARY 4, 1973" | date of preparation
- "This document will automatically become declassified 90 days from the published date." | declassification notice
- "NOTICE: This document may be exempt from public disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552). Requests for its release to persons outside the U.S. Government should be handled under the provisions of NASA Policy Directive 1382.2." | official notice
Page 2
View PDF ↗statusno_content