Echoes Among the Stars: The Original Website
The First Era in Space, 1957-1975
Apollo 16
April 16 - April 27, 1972
The Moon Car
The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) was a major innovation of the later Apollo moon landings. In addition to fueling the public’s fascination with the prospects of driving on the moon, the vehicle also provided the astronauts with the much more practical ability to cover a much larger territory during their EVAs. Here, Apollo 16 commander John Young stands by the LRV. NASA photo.
Going Farther
This long-distance view of Charlie Duke and the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) aptly demonstrates the value of the ‘moon car.’ Freed of the challenge of traveling over the rough lunar terrain by foot, the astronauts could explore the area around their landing site in much greater detail. NASA photo.
Ken Mattingly During Apollo 16
Command module pilot Ken Mattingly retrieves film canisters during the Apollo 16 mission. Mattingly faced a frightening moment when his spacecraft developed a problem just before Young and Duke set down on the moon. Alone in the command module, he waited anxiously while ground crews devised a solution. The flight then proceeded normally. NASA photo.
