![]() ![]() The mobility system was the major LRV system, containing the wheels, traction drive, suspension, steering, and drive control electronics subsystems. The aft section held the scientific payload.Īuxiliary LRV equipment included the lunar communications relay unit (LCRU) and its high and low gain antennas for direct communications with Earth, the ground commanded television assembly (GCTA), a motion picture camera, scientific equipment, tools, and sample stowage bags. The floor of beaded aluminum panels could support the weight of both astronauts standing in lunar gravity. ![]() The center section held the crew station with its two seats, control and display console and hand controller. The forward section held both batteries, part of the navigation system, and electronics gear for the traction drive and steering systems. The forward and aft sections fold over the center one for stowage in the LM. The aluminum chassis was divided into three sections that supported all equipment and systems. Secondary systems included the deployment mechanism, LM attachment equipment and ground support equipment. The LRV consisted of five major systems: mobility, crew station, navigation, power, and thermal control. The driver used an on-board dead reckoning navigation system to determine direction and distance from the lunar module, and total distance traveled at any point during a traverse. Pitch and roll stability angles were at least +-45 degrees, and the turn radius was three meters (10 feet).īoth crewmen sat so the front wheels were visible during normal driving. ![]() The fully loaded vehicle could climb and descend slopes as steep as 25 degrees, and park on slopes up to 35 degrees. The vehicle could negotiate obstacles 30.5 centimeters (one foot) high, and cross crevasses 70 centimeters wide (28 inches). This area contained about 290 square kilometers (113 square miles) available for investigation, 10 times the area that could be explored on foot. This walk-back distance limitation was based upon the quantity of oxygen and coolant available in the astronauts' portable life support systems. The maximum distance the LRV was permitted to range from the lunar module was approximately 9.7 kilometers (six miles), the distance the crew could safely walk to the LM in the unlikely event of a total LRV failure. It could make several exploration sorties to a cumulative distance of 92 kilometers (57 miles). The LRV was designed to operate for a minimum of 78 hours during :the lunar day. ![]() The payload included two astronauts and their portable life support systems (about 353 kilograms 800 pounds), 45.4 kilograms (100 pounds) of communications equipment, 54.5 kilograms (120 pounds) of scientific equipment and photographic gear, and 27.2 kilograms (60 pounds) of lunar samples. Weighing about 208 kilograms (457 pounds), Earth weight when deployed on the Moon, the LRV could carry a total payload of about 490 kilograms (1,080 pounds), more than twice its own weight. The collapsible 208 kg battery-powered rover could take two astronauts, 55 kg of scientific equipment, and 27 kg of lunar samples over a cumulative distance of 92 kilometers during one lunar day. Although Bendix built a prototype, Boeing ended up with the production contract.ĪKA: Lunar Roving Vehicle. The design was based on three years of studies for light, two-crew, open-cockpit 'Local Science Survey Modules'. The Lunar Rover was the only piece of equipment from NASA's ambitious post-Apollo lunar exploration plans to actually fly in space, being used on Apollo missions 15, 16, and 17 in 1971-1972. The Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle was one of those sweet pieces of hardware that NASA and its contractors seemed to be able to develop so effortlessly during the short maturity of the Apollo program. Home - Search - Browse - Alphabetic Index: 0- 1- 2- 3- 4- 5- 6- 7- 8- 9Ī- B- C- D- E- F- G- H- I- J- K- L- M- N- O- P- Q- R- S- T- U- V- W- X- Y- ZĪmerican manned lunar rover. ![]()
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