In December of 1972, Apollo 17 [
http://antwrp.gsfc.
] astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt spent about 75 hours exploring [
http://www.hq.nasa.
] the Moon's Taurus-Littrow valley [
http://www.lpi.usra
A17_lsite.html ] while colleague Ronald Evans orbited overhead [
http://antwrp.gsfc.
]. Cernan and Schmitt were the last humans to walk or ride on the Moon - aided in their explorations [
http://antwrp.gsfc.
] by a Lunar Roving Vehicle [
http://ares.jsc.nas
EXLibrary/docs/Apoll oCat/Part1/LRV.htm ]. The skeletal-looking lunar rover was [
http://www.hq.nasa.
lrvhand.html ] just over 10 feet long, 6 feet wide and easily carried astronauts, equipment, and rock samples in the Moon's [
http://nssdc.gsfc.n
] low gravity (about 1/6 Earth's). In this picture [
http://www.hq.nasa.
], Cernan stands at the back of the rover which carried the two astronauts in lawn-chair style seats. An umbrella-shaped high gain antenna and TV camera are mounted in the front. Powered by four 1/4 horsepower electric motors, one for each wheel [
http://antwrp.gsfc.
], this rover was driven a total of about 18 miles across the lunar surface [
http://www.hq.nasa.
]. Its estimated top speed was a blazing 8 miles per hour.
Explanation
In December of 1972, Apollo 17 [
http://antwrp.gsfc.
] astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt spent about 75 hours exploring [
http://www.hq.nasa.
] the Moon's Taurus-Littrow valley [
http://www.lpi.usra
A17_lsite.html ] while colleague Ronald Evans orbited overhead [
http://antwrp.gsfc.
]. Cernan and Schmitt were the last humans to walk or ride on the Moon - aided in their explorations [
http://antwrp.gsfc.
] by a Lunar Roving Vehicle [
http://ares.jsc.nas
EXLibrary/docs/Apoll oCat/Part1/LRV.htm ]. The skeletal-looking lunar rover was [
http://www.hq.nasa.
lrvhand.html ] just over 10 feet long, 6 feet wide and easily carried astronauts, equipment, and rock samples in the Moon's [
http://nssdc.gsfc.n
] low gravity (about 1/6 Earth's). In this picture [
http://www.hq.nasa.
], Cernan stands at the back of the rover which carried the two astronauts in lawn-chair style seats. An umbrella-shaped high gain antenna and TV camera are mounted in the front. Powered by four 1/4 horsepower electric motors, one for each wheel [
http://antwrp.gsfc.
], this rover was driven a total of about 18 miles across the lunar surface [
http://www.hq.nasa.
]. Its estimated top speed was a blazing 8 miles per hour.
Explanation