Country of Origin: United States of America
Dimensions:
Overall: 48 in. tall x 60 in. wide x 96 in. long, 980 lb. (121.92 x 152.4 x 243.84cm, 444.5kg)
Materials:
Aluminum chassis, zinc-coated piano wire wheels, fiberglass fenders, canvas, nylon, brass
The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) was a four-wheeled, battery powered "dune buggy" taken to the moon on Apollo missions 15, 16, and 17. This particular unit was used on Earth as a Vibration Test Unit. The LRV was stowed on the descent stage of the Lunar Module and deployed upon arrival at the lunar surface. Actually a "wheeled spacecraft", it was operated with a spacecraft "stick" rather than a steering wheel, and could move forward and backwards. The design included a communications antenna and a television camera. Each wheel had a 1/4-horsepower electric motor. The LRV could reach speeds of up to 12 miles per hour and carry 1000 pounds (2 astronauts and their equipment.)
This lunar rover was transferred to the Smithsonian Institution from NASA in 1975.
Transferred from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
