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It was ultimately decided to target the Apollo 16 mission to the Descartes site.

Following the decision, the Alphonsus site was considered the most likely candidate for Apollo 17, but was eventually rejected.

With the assistance of orbital photography obtained on the Apollo 14 mission, the Descartes site was determined to be safe enough for a manned landing.

The mission's specific landing site was located between two young impact craters, North and South Ray craters — and in diameter, respectively — which provided " natural drill holes " which penetrated through the lunar regolith at the site, thus leaving exposed bedrock that could be sampled by the crew.