Lunar Roving Vehicle
The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) was an electric-powered vehicle used by NASA astronauts on the Moon during the final three missions of the Apollo program: Apollo 15, Apollo 16, and Apollo 17. It allowed astronauts to travel farther from their landing modules, significantly expanding the scope of scientific exploration and sample collection.
Key Engineering Features
- Electric Propulsion: Utilized two electric motors (one per rear wheel) powered by non-rechargeable silver oxide-zinc batteries.
- Foldable Design: Stored in a compact configuration on top of the Lunar Module’s descent stage to fit within launch vehicle constraints; deployed manually by astronauts on the lunar surface.
- Tire Construction: Woven wire mesh tires with chevron treads for traction in low-gravity, fine regolith conditions.
- Communication & Navigation: Integrated VHF antennas and a camera for transmission back to Earth; lacked steering wheel or brakes, relying on torque vectoring and motor control for maneuvering.
Operational Impact
- Extended range of lunar surface operations from ~200 meters (on foot) to several kilometers.
- Enabled collection of diverse geological samples from varied terrain types.
- Set a lunar speed record of 17.9 km/h (11.2 mph) by Eugene Cernan during Apollo 17.