Lunar Roving Vehicle, Qualification Test Unit

Object Details

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, and could move forward and backwards.; 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

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)

National Air and Space Museum

GUID (Link to Original Record): http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv963b08f5e-ade7-4a1e-9cbc-f88ca2c395f5