Apollo 17 lifted off from the Moon on December 14, 1972, marking the final time humans set foot on the lunar surface and journeyed beyond Earth's orbit.

The ascent was captured by a television camera mounted on the lunar rover, which was equipped with a remote-controlled pan-and-tilt system. The camera was programmed to track the launch, transmitting the footage back to Earth via the rover’s high-gain antenna. The rover, deliberately positioned beforehand, remained on the Moon to ensure the shot was successfully recorded.