50th Anniversary of the First Use of the Lunar Roving Vehicle
Apollo 15 Lunar Rover
NASA
On 31 July 1971, Apollo 15 astronauts David Scott and James Irwin became the first humans to drive a car on the lunar surface, the Lunar Roving Vehicle.
The lightweight, electric car greatly increased the range of mobility and productivity on the scientific traverses for astronauts. The LRV weighed 462 pounds (77 pounds on the Moon) and could carry two suited astronauts, their gear and cameras, and several hundred pounds of bagged lunar samples.
The LRV was designed and developed by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center and built by Boeing. Here, David Scott waits in the LRV for the return trip to the Lunar Module, Falcon, with rocks and soil collected near the Hadley-Apennine landing site.
Image credit: NASA Larger image
