First Lunar Roving Vehicle Had Corvette Ties, Landed on the Moon 50 Years Ago

As astronauts were driving Corvettes and America was racing to the moon, the Lunar Roving Vehicle was born.

Most are well aware of the strong ties between NASA and the Chevrolet Corvette. When America was just beginning to explore space and the moon in particular, a number of astronauts – essentially rock stars in that day and age – were basically gifted America’s sports car and were more than happy to flaunt them around town. But as it turns out, when Apollo 15 landed on the moon on July 31, 1971, the Lunar Roving Vehicle it drove across that barren surface also had Corvette ties, a story The New York Times recently revisited.

That first Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) was designed and built by General Motors and Boeing and is seen by most as the crowning achievement of the groundbreaking Apollo missions. After all, the durable, battery-powered vehicle allowed astronauts to cover some ground on the moon’s surface, collecting rocks and other specimens to bring back to earth so that scientists could gain a better understanding of the mysterious natural satellite.

Building a vehicle capable of taking a lunar road trip was obviously more complicated than it seems. Engineers had come up with a number of ideas for a moon buggy over the years – everything from flying cars to pogo sticks and motorcycles. Ultimately, the car-like buggy won out, and as a side benefit, played on America’s fascination with the automobile. It didn’t look like a conventional Corvette, but the LRV’s connection to that iconic model is deeply rooted.

That much is evident by a single photo published in Life magazine back in 1971 showing the LRV posing next to the Apollo 15 crew and their Corvettes. Regardless, it challenged GM’s engineers to the max, as the moon rover needed to weigh less than 500 pounds, have a cargo capacity of 1,000+ pounds, function in temperatures exceeding 500 degrees Fahrenheit, cover some seriously challenging surfaces, and hold up to dust and tiny meteoroids flying through the air at high speed.

Driving the LRV was a challenge as well, as it was rather unpredictable and unstable on the moon’s surface, kicking the tail out at speeds of just six miles per hour. Regardless, it proved up to the task, taking those Apollo 15 astronauts on a six-hour road trip that allowed them to collect a number of lunar samples that led to numerous scientific breakthroughs. And now, as GM prepares to build a new rover for a future moon mission, it’s pretty cool to take a look back at how it all started, with a sports car and a dream.

Photos: NASA, Life Magazine

.

‎