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Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV)

An electric vehicle that expanded Apollo crews’ range on the Moon from Apollo 15 onward.

Reading time: 1 min
Sources: 1 cited
Updated: 4 Oct 2026

The lunar roving vehicle at the Apennine Mountains, Apollo 15.

The lunar roving vehicle at the Apennine Mountains, Apollo 15.Real photograph · NASA / images.nasa.gov · Public Domain (NASA)

Key facts

#Apollo#Měsíc#mobilita

Contents · 4

01Overview
02Key facts
03Sources
04Connections

The Lunar Roving Vehicle, or LRV, allowed the Apollo 15, 16, and 17 astronauts to leave the immediate vicinity of their lunar module. The folding four-wheeler fit in the descent stage’s cargo bay and was unfolded by the crew on the Moon.

The vehicle was not a luxury but a scientific tool. It made it possible to collect samples from different geological sites, carry instruments, and plan longer traverses, while astronauts still had to remain within walking range in case it failed. All three LRVs remain on the Moon.

Key facts

Apollo 15, Apollo 16, and Apollo 17 used the LRV.
Four independent electric motors powered the vehicle.
On Apollo 17, the crew drove the LRV more than 35 kilometres.

Sources & further reading

last verified · 21 September 2026

NASA: Lunar Roving Vehicle use on Apollo 15 and its contribution to surface exploration.

Spaceflightpedia. (n.d.). Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV). Retrieved 9 October 2026, from https://spaceflightpedia.com/article/lunarni-vozidlo

article text — CC-BY-SA · ◉ NASA photography — public domain · ✦ AI illustration — marked, generated from sources

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