That was the headline today on July 30, 1971 when David Scott and James Irwin landed safely on the Apollo 15 mission, and unpacked the Moon Buggy, or Lunar Roving vehicle (LRV) that was strapped to the side of the Lunar Lander (top picture).
The LRV was an amazing piece of technology, a two-seater with electric power to all four wire-mesh wheels, and developed in just 17 months by Boeing, with Delco as main subcontractor. The Mission Commander driver sat in the left-hand seat, but a central t-bar control meant that the LRV could be driven from either side if needed. LRVs rolled across the lunar terrain at a sprightly 13 km/h (8 mph), and were used on the last three Apollo missions, 15, 16 and 17.
New LRVs will be needed for any future Moon missions, but as yet no finished concept has been agreed. Ideally, it would have a pressurized shirt-sleeve environment, with access by airlock (bottom pictures). However, this would be heavier and cost more than a simple, open design - realistically, cost and weight will likely be the decision-makers when it’s time to build the new vehicle.
1 comments: