Object Details
Manufacturer
Boeing Company
Summary
The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) was a battery powered "dune buggy" taken to the moon on Apollo missions 15, 16, and 17. The LRV was stowed on the descent stage of the Lunar Module and deployed upon arrival at the lunar surface. The LRV was operated with a spacecraft "stick," rather than a steering wheel.
In addition to the flight vehicles, Boeing manufactured eight non-flight units for development and testing. One, the "Qualification Test Unit," was a very close replica of the units that flew. Using special test chambers, engineers purposely subjected the qualification unit to conditions many times as severe as those expected on an actual mission. When the tests were finished, given the stresses it had been subject to, the qualification unit could not safely be used in space. In 1975, NASA transferred it to the Museum.
Alternate Name
Lunar Roving Vehicle
Key Accomplishment(s)
First Human-Driven Vehicle on Another Planet
Brief Description
The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) was a battery-powered "dune buggy" taken to the moon on Apollo missions 15, 16, and 17. Stowed on the descent stage of the Lunar Module, the LRV extended the range of astronaut EVA activities by several kilometers beyond the landing site.
Credit Line
Transferred from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Inventory Number
A19760746000
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Type
SPACECRAFT-Crewed-Test Vehicles
Materials
Aluminum chassis, zinc-coated piano wire wheels, fiberglass fenders, canvas, nylon, brass
Dimensions
Overall: 4 × 5 × 8 ft., 537lb. (121.9 × 152.4 × 243.8cm, 243.6kg)
Country of Origin
United States of America
See more items in
National Air and Space Museum Collection
Location
National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC
Exhibition
Destination Moon
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Link to Original Record
Record ID
nasm_A19760746000
