Fact sheet
71588 is an olivine-microporphyritic ilmenite basalt that was collected as part of a rake sample. It is medium-grained with texture gradational from granular to variolitic. It has large (2 mm) olivine phenocrysts with large chromite-ulvospinel inclusions. Pyroxene is sector-zoned with high Fe enrichment. It also contains silica, armalcolite, troilite and metallic iron.
The sample weighed 49 grams before analysis and has not been dated.
Further details of this and other Apollo samples are here: http://curator.jsc.nasa.gov/lunar/
The mounting resin of this thin section has deteriorated over time and now contains clusters of feathery crystallites.
Apollo 17, the final manned landing mission, had two objectives: to obtain samples of ancient rocks from the lunar highlands and to look for evidence of younger volcanic activity on the valley floor.
This small Collection contains material deriving from both periods, including igneous rocks around 4.3 billion years old from the lunar highlands as well as younger volcanic samples dating from about 3.6 billion years ago.
Apollo 17 was launched on 7 December 1972.