Apollo 15

Apollo 15 was the first of the extended J missions. David Scott and James Irwin used the Lunar Roving Vehicle to explore the Hadley–Apennine region, travelling 27.9 km and returning 77 kg of samples including the 'Genesis Rock'.

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Agency / Country

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (United States)

Mission Status

LANDED

Launch / Target Year

1971

Spacecraft / Type

Apollo LM Falcon

Landing Site Zone

Hadley–Apennine

Surface Coordinates

Lat 26.132°, Lon 3.634°

Mission Imagery & Gallery

Apollo 15 photograph 1: NASA AS15-88-11866 — James Irwin, Lunar Rover, LM Falcon, Flag and Hadley Delta, Apollo 15, July 1971. (NASA, public domain) — NASA AS15-88-11866 — James Irwin, Lunar Rover, LM Falcon, Flag and Hadley Delta, Apollo 15, July 1971. (NASA, public domain)

Primary Achievement

First use of the Lunar Roving Vehicle

Mission Objectives

Deploy and operate Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) for first time
Explore Hadley Rille and Apennine mountain front
Collect 77 kg of samples including 'Genesis Rock' (4.5 billion years old)
Deploy ALSEP with six scientific instruments
Deploy Lunar Surface Experiments Package subsatellite

Timeline Events

1971-07-26 — Launch from Kennedy Space Center
1971-07-30 — Falcon lands at Hadley–Apennine
1971-07-31 — First EVA — Hadley Rille exploration with LRV
1971-08-01 — Second EVA — Apennine Front and 'Genesis Rock' discovered
1971-08-02 — Third EVA — ALSEP and final sampling
1971-08-07 — Crew splashdown, Pacific Ocean

Related Missions

Apollo 14 (1971) · NASA
Apollo 16 (1972) · NASA

Historical & Technical Sources

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