Apollo 14 was originally scheduled for launch in October 1970, but due to the investigations and modifications forced by the near disaster of Apollo 13, it was delayed until January 1971. Their mission was retargeted for 13's destination, a rugged site near a crater on the edge of the Sea of Storms.
The first Apollo missions had played it safe on landing sites, picking relatively flat open spots. The last few Apollos landed in more spectacular terrain, with mountains, boulder fields and craters nearby for exploration. The Command/Service Module, dubbed "Antares" was piloted by Stuart Roosa, while the LM, named "Kitty Hawk' was flown by Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell, who would explore the Lunar surface.
The first of their 2 EVAs on the Moon was spent setting up the ALSEP (Apollo Lunar Surface Experiment Package) and its 496 l bs. (225 kg) of experiments, including more solar wind experiments and seismometers. On their second exploration they used a two-wheel "golf cart" to assist in carrying equipment and larger rock samples. It was aptly named, as Shepard suddenly pulled out three golf balls, which when hit by the handle of a geology tool flew for "miles and miles and miles." To help produce seismic readings, Mitchell exploded 13 cartridges while on the surface.
After they left the Moon, the lunar module was programmed to crash into the lunar surface, as was the Saturn V's third stage , which they had discarded on the outbound trip. The force of the impacts was equal to that of several tons of TNT and produced strong signals at the three Apollo instrument sites now situated around the Moon's middle.
Finally, on the way back to Earth, the astronauts performed a small experiment in space manufacturing. Kerosene, tungsten and sodium acetate were mixed and heated in a vial. Rather than separating by weight as they would in Earth's gravity, they stayed together, creating a totally new compound.
