Today I saw something on TV showing the lunar rover they drove on the moon in the later Apollo missions. Does anyone know how they got it there? Did it “piggback” on the lunar lander, if so how did they use Thule racks or something? Or did it come in seperatly (on a different lander or something)? I am old enough to remember the Apollo missions, but don’t remember anything about this.
Thanks in advance.
It was all folded up.
As to where specifically, the LM descent stage had a respectable volume of equipment “bays” where they hauled up gear that was not needed until on the moon’s surface – the folded-up buggy and the high-tech block-and-tackle that was supposed to lower it to the ground would fit in one large bay and the rest of the gear would be shoved tight into the others,
They stole it from a local moonman who stupidly left his keys in it.
Here a couple of pictures I scanned:
This one from the book the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Space technology shows a diagram of the rover being unfolded from the side of the lunar lander.
This one is a photograph of astronaut Dave Scott inspecting the rover partially stowed on the lunar lander. It’s from the excellent three book set a Man on the Moon, by Andrew Chaikin.
Eric
The sent up an unmanned rocket first, with a long string attached. Then they tied a heavy cord to the string, then a rope to the cord, and then a rope ladder. They filled the rope-ladder in with concrete, and then drove the lunar rover up.
They had to do this when the moon was full, of course, because when the moon was down to a narrow crescent, it would have been hard to keep the lunar rover balanced, there was risk it would topple over and fall back to earth. And, also, when the moon was down to a narrow crescent, the rover might burst its tires on the sharp edge.
THEY COULDN’T GET IT UP THERE!!! ITS TOO BIG AND HEAVY!!!SEE!!! IT WAS ALL A HOAX!!!
etc. etc. :rolleyes:
Didn’t they just get it from the prop room in the next studio over?
Well gosh, that’s the best simulpost I’ve ever seen.
–Cliffy
