Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle Documentation

Lunar Roving Vehicle: Historical Origins, Development, and Deployment, Bettye B. Burkhalter and Mitchell R. Sharpe, Journal of the British Interplanetary Society, Vol. 48, pp. 199-212, 1995 ( 12 Mb PDF ). Scan courtesy Ron Creel. Reproduced with permission from Bettye Burkhalter and Suszann Parry (BIS)
Handcontroller Design Approval, Deke Slayton Memo CF13-70M-071, 15 May 1970 ( 48k PDF ). Scan courtesy Marshall Space Flight Center Historian Mike Wright.

Lunar Roving Vehicle Stowage, General Electric, 5 June 1970 ( 52 Mb PDF ) This document applies most directly to the Apollo 15 Rover. There were differences in equipment carried and configuration - particularly with regard to the geology gear at the back of the vehicle from mission to mission. Ron Creel notes that this document shows the wrong placement of the television camera and high gain antenna on the LRV. "Early concepts showed the TV camera on the left side in front of the Commander's (and only driver) seat, but this was changed in order to provide a clearer view for the LRV driver to see the lunar terrain."

The Navigation System of the Lunar Roving Vehicle, by W.G. Heffron and F. LaPiana, Bellcomm, NASA TM 70-2014-8, 11 December 1970 ( 15 Mb PDF ). PDF document courtesy NASA Technical Reports Server ( http://ntrs.nasa.gov/ ).

Apollo 15 Lunar Roving Vehicle: Lunar Traverse Payload Stowage Location and Criteria, 29 January 1971, Boeing document (20 Mb PDF. Scans courtesy Jim Burns.

Lunar Rover Operations Handbook, Boeing, 19 April 1971 ( two formats available ). This document applies most directly to the Apollo 15 Rover. There were differences in equipment carried and configuration - particularly with regard to the geology gear at the back of the vehicle from mission to mission. Scan by Ron Wells.

Lunar Roving Vehicle Systems Handbook: Apollo 15, LRV-1, Rev. A, MSC Flight Control Division, MSC FC044, 22 June 1971 ( 3.0 Mb PDF ). PDF document courtesy Fernando Zumbado, NASA Johnson.

LRV Navigation Suport at Bellcomm During the Apollo 15 Mission - Case 320, by I.Y. Bar-Itzhack and M.L. Carothers, Bellcomm Memorandum B71 08026, 19 August 1971 ( 265k PDF ). PDF document courtesy NASA Technical Reports Server ( http://ntrs.nasa.gov/ ).

Mobility Systems Activity for Lunar Rovers at MSFC, by C.S. Jones, Jr. and F.J. Nola, NASA Marshall Spaceflight Center, NASA TM X-64623, 9 September 1971 ( 8.2 Mb PDF ). PDF document courtesy NASA Technical Reports Server ( http://ntrs.nasa.gov/ ).

A Study and Analysis of the MSFC Lunar Roving Vehicle Dust Profile Test Program, C. Howell Mullis, Bureau of Engineering Research Report 139-92, College of Engineering, University of Alabama, November 1971 ( 6.7 Mb PDF ). PDF document courtesy NASA Technical Reports Server ( http://ntrs.nasa.gov/ ).

Performance of Boeing LRV Wheels in a Lunar Soil Simulant, Report 1, Effect of Wheel Design and Soil, A.J. Green and K.-J. Melzer, U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experimental Station (WES) Technical Report M-71-10 (supercedes M-70-15), December 1971 ( 3.4 Mb PDF ). Scan courtesy Fernando Zumbado, NASA Johnson.

Performance of Boeing LRV Wheels in a Lunar Soil Simulant, Report 2, Effects of Speed, Wheel Load, and Soil, K.-J. Melzer, U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experimental Station (WES) Technical Report M-71-10, December 1971 ( 5.4 Mb PDF ). Scan courtesy Fernando Zumbado, NASA Johnson.

Lunar Roving Vehicle Systems Handbook: Apollo 17, LRV-3, MSC Flight Control Division, MSC 06474, 2 October 1972 ( 7.4 Mb PDF ). PDF document courtesy NASA Glenn and Ron Creel.

Mobility Performance of the Lunar Roving Vehicle: Terrestrial Studies - Apollo 15 Results, by N.C. Costes, J.E. Farmer, and E.B. George NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, NASA Technical Report TR R-401, December 1972 ( 28 Mb PDF ). PDF document courtesy NASA Technical Reports Server ( http://ntrs.nasa.gov/ ). This document is described as the "Lunar Mobility Bible" by Ron Creel.

A Study and Analysis of the MSFC Lunar Roving Vehicle Dust Profile Test Program, C. Howell Mullis, Bureau of Engineering Research Report 139-92, College of Engineering, University of Alabama, November 1971 ( 6.7 Mb PDF ). PDF document courtesy NASA Technical Reports Server ( http://ntrs.nasa.gov/ ).

Apollo 16 Mission, Anomaly Report No. 9, Lunar Roving Vehicle Electrical System Meter Anomalies, NASA Manned Spacecraft Center document MSC-07684, January 1973 ( 0.2 Mb PDF ). PDF document courtesy NASA Technical Reports Server ( http://ntrs.nasa.gov/ ).

Apollo 16 Mission, Anomaly Report No. 10, Rear Steering Inoperative, NASA Manned Spacecraft Center document MSC-07683, January 1973 ( 0.2 Mb PDF ). PDF document courtesy NASA Technical Reports Server ( http://ntrs.nasa.gov/ ).

Lunar Roving Vehicle Navigation System Performance Review, E.C. Smith and W.C. Mastin, NASA Technical Note NASA TN D-7469, November 1973 ( 3.5 Mb PDF ). PDF document courtesy NASA Technical Reports Server ( http://ntrs.nasa.gov/ ).

A Brief History of the Lunar Roving Vehicle, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, 3 April 2002 ( 4 Mb PDF ) Ron Creel notes that this document shows the wrong placement of the television camera and high gain antenna on the LRV. "Early concepts showed the TV camera on the left side in front of the Commander's (and only driver) seat, but this was changed in order to provide a clearer view for the LRV driver to see the lunar terrain."

Applying Thermal Control Experiences On Apollo Lunar Rover Project To Rovers For Future Space Exploration, August 2007 ( 35 Mb PDF ). Courtesy Ron Creel.