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GV Moon surface PAN TO astronauts discover orange dust & speaking excitedly
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(Continuation of previous shot) GV Astronauts taking photograph
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(Continuation of previous shot) GV Astronauts prepare to take samples
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Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Scientists have described astronauts Eugene Cernan and Jack Schmitt's discovery of orange-coloured soil on the moon as "one of the most important finds in Apollo geology".

The discovery was made on Wednesday (13 December) during an excursion by the Apollo-17 crewmen to a crater called Shorty.

The find could mean the crater is the first volcanically-created one -- or fumarole -- found on the moon. Scientists believe the material could be the youngest yet discovered, possibly less then 1,000-million years old.

Previously, it had been thought the moon had been dead for up to 3,000 million years.

The discovery of the orange soil came as Cernan and Schmitt began exploring the crater. Suddenly Mission Control at Houston heard them jabbering in their excitement as Schmitt kicked up the soil with his boot.

Later, on their third moon walk, they discovered a blue-green rock that could be the oldest in the valley.

They also unveiled a plaque for future moon voyagers.

SYNOPSIS: An exciting moment as astronauts Eugene Cernan and Jack Schmitt find volcanic orange-coloured soil on the moon.

One of the first things the Apollo-17 astronauts did was take a photograph.

The discovery was made during an excursion to a crater called Shorty, and could mean the crater is the first volcanically-created one found on the moon. The moon had been thought to be dead for up to three-thousand-million years, but scientists believe the orange dust could prove to be only one-thousand-million years old.

Later, on their third moon walk, the two men were to discover a blue-green rock that could be the oldest in the area...another significant find.

The astronauts set to work to collect samples of the history-making orange dust that had caused such elation among scientists at Houston Mission Control.