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The Apollo 16 mission, launched on April 16, 1972, was the tenth crewed mission in NASA's Apollo space program and the fifth to successfully land humans on the Moon. Commanded by astronaut John Young, with Charles Duke serving as Lunar Module Pilot and Thomas Mattingly as Command Module Pilot, Apollo 16 spent over 71 hours on the lunar surface, primarily in the Descartes Highlands. This mission marked the first time astronauts explored the highlands area, collecting over 200 pounds of lunar samples for analysis back on Earth. Apollo 16, as a critical part of the broader Apollo program, contributed significantly to our understanding of lunar geology and paved the way for future manned space exploration.