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Lunar Roving Vehicle
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Apollo 15 (Top) Apollo 17 scientist-astronaut Harrison Schmitt working at the Lunar Roving Vehicle at the Taurus-Littrow site. This is the area where Schmitt first spotted orange soil. Apollo 17 was launched December 7, 1972. (Bottom) Schmitt standing next to a huge, split lunar boulder at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. Apollo 15: James B. Irwin Apollo 15 astronaut David Scott and the lunar rover backdropped by a view of Hadley Rille, July 31, 1971.
Lunar Roving Vehicle carrying two astronauts across the Moon's surface.
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Lunar Roving Vehicle

Apollo program
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Quick Summary

Apollo 15
Apollo 15 Apollo 15 astronaut James B. Irwin standing in back of the Lunar Roving Vehicle; the Lunar Module (LM) is at left with the modular equipment storage assembly (MESA) in front of it. Apollo 15 was launched July 26, 1971.

The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) was a battery-powered, wheeled vehicle designed to transport astronauts across the lunar surface during the Apollo program missions. It allowed astronauts to travel greater distances from the lunar module, significantly expanding their exploration capabilities.1

The LRV was first used on Apollo 15 in 1971 and was also utilized on Apollo 16 and Apollo 17. These vehicles were crucial for collecting geological samples and conducting experiments further afield than astronauts could walk. The development of the LRV was a significant technological achievement, enabling more extensive scientific exploration of the Moon.1

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6 Britannica Sources
  1. Moon - First robotic missions
  2. Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
  3. Lunar Orbiter
  4. Moon - Apollo
  5. LRV
  6. Moon - Lunar resources

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