Lunar Module #2, Apollo

The Apollo Lunar Module (LM) was a two-stage vehicle designed by Grumman to ferry two astronauts from lunar orbit to the lunar surface and back. The upper ascent stage consisted of a pressurized crew compartment, equipment areas, and an ascent rocket engine. The lower descent stage had the landing gear and contained the descent rocket engine and lunar surface experiments.

LM-2 was built for a second uncrewed Earth-orbit test flight. Because the test flight of LM 1, performed as part of the Apollo 5 mission, was so successful, a second unmanned LM test mission was deemed unnecessary. LM-2 was used for ground testing prior to the first successful Moon-landing mission. In 1970 the ascent stage of LM-2 spent several months on display at the "Expo '70" in Osaka, Japan. When it returned to the United States, it was reunited with its descent stage, modified to appear like the Apollo 11 Lunar Module "Eagle," and transferred to the Smithsonian for display.

Lunar Module LM-2

Landed Astronauts on the Moon

This lunar module represents one of humanity’s greatest achievements: landing people on another heavenly body.

Between 1969 and 1972, six lunar modules identical to this one landed a total of 12 American astronauts on the Moon. This lunar module, LM-2, never flew in space. It is configured as LM-5, Apollo 11’s lunar module Eagle.