The Leif Erikson Exploration Award
Awarded to an explorer for a recent or a lifetime achievement in the field of exploration.
Harrison Schmitt
For his scientific work on the surface of the Moon in 1972, and for his part in the geology training of all the astronauts that walked on the Moon before him, astronaut Harrison Schmitt is awarded The Leif Erikson Exploration Award.
As the lunar module pilot of Apollo 17, he became the 12th and final Apollo astronaut to set foot on the Moon. As a geologist, he is the only professional scientist to have walked on the Moon, and the only scientist to have flown beyond low Earth orbit.
The recipients of the 2015 Leif Erikson Exploration Awards were announced at a press conference in Husavik on November 11, 2015.
Learn about the other recipients here:
Leif Erikson Young Explorer Award: Jessica Watson (Australia)
Leif Erikson Exploration History Award: Dr. Huw Lewis-Jones (UK)
