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LUNAR ROVING VEHICLE (LRV)
The LRV carried two astronauts along with their life-support systems,
scientific equipment, and lunar samples on the airless, low gravity surface
of the Moon. It had a range of about 92 kilometers (57 miles), allowing
astronauts to place instruments and collect samples away from the immediate
area of the lunar module. The vehicle had power for up to 78 hours of
operation.
A LRV was first used by the crew of Apollo 15 on their mission, July 31-Aug.2,
1971. Using an LRV, the astronauts traversed 25.3 kilometers (15.7 miles)
during their explorations--far exceeding the total range of 6.7 kilometers
(4.2 miles) covered by astronaut explorations on foot during Apollo missions
11, 12, and 14. An LRV also was used during Apollo missions 16 and 17.
The three LRVs were driven a total of 88.3 kilometers (54.8 miles). Astronauts
operated the LRV using the controls at this Instrument
Panel.
The foil-covered television camera (visible behind the LRV
Antenna) was operated by Mission Control in Houston. This allowed
ground controllers to monitor the activities of the astronauts and photograph
the launch of the lunar module ascent stage.
Sample
bag extension handle for use on LRV
Sample
bags
  More
on the Lunar Roving Vehicle
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