The Apollo 11 moon landing was such a milestone of the 20th century that it’s easy to forget no one has set foot on the lunar surface in well over 40 years. The space race between the United States and the Soviet Union served as some juicy propaganda for the two countries, but a mere three-and-a-half years after Neil Armstrong took that giant leap for mankind, the final moon landing took place. The Last Man on the Moon revisits the accomplished career of Apollo 17 astronaut Eugene Cernan, who in December of 1972 etched his daughter’s initials in moon dust. No one has been up there since.

The Last Man on the Moon covers a lot of ground. Not only is the documentary about the Apollo missions, but it also features more intimate details of Cernan’s life. We hear him recall his early days, including a five-year stint as a naval aviator. The octogenarian—who is still very active with public appearances and speeches at NASA-related events—speaks longingly about the brash sense of immortality that youth had bestowed upon him, one that led him to become quite comfortable with the dangers of flight during his 20s. That same attitude propelled him into NASA, and the film begins to focus more on manned space missions.

The danger of space travel is underscored in interviews with the astronauts and crew. We hear about their families worrying at home, and we are given the horrific details of the Apollo 1 disaster. Following a devastating fire that erupted in the command module during an Apollo 1 test on the launch pad, three astronauts lost their lives in 1967. At that moment in history, walking on the moon was anything but a certainty. Yet, two years later, Cernan would become part of the Apollo 10 “dress-rehearsal” that would approach the moon without landing, and he would eventually join a fraternity of only a dozen men who have ever set foot on its surface.

The film offers some spectacular NASA footage, driving home the ferocity of rocket launches along with the marvelous views of Earth from space. On the moon itself, the starkness of the barren surroundings impacts the viewer far greater than the lower resolution archival footage most of us are familiar with. The sound editing is impeccable in this documentary, as rocket engines erupt and walls of fire snap just outside windows. We also learn about the effects of such a perilous career on family life, as Cernan’s daughter shares many fond memories of her father the spaceman. Yet his ex-wife admits that that kind of life (wondering if he’s ever coming home) was not for her, which led to their split. We also hear from the widow of one of Cernan’s fellow astronauts who lost his life in the Apollo 1 disaster, who recounts how difficult it was to tell her young children their father wouldn’t be coming home. Even when missions went right, Cernan himself admits that to succeed at such a high-level job, family often has to take the backseat.

Overall, The Last Man on the Moon recalls the Apollo missions with admiration, and deservedly so for such awe-inspiring feats of human ambition. In one interview, Cernan points out that many people alive today will witness the first humans setting foot on Mars. The 81-year-old former astronaut admits he won’t live to see it himself, but he’s fine with that—he’s already shot for the moon.