APOD: Apollo 16: Driving on the Moon (2013 Jan 29)

[APOD Robot]

Apollo 16: Diving on the Moon

Explanation: What would it be like to drive on the Moon? You don't have to guess -- humans have actually done it. Pictured above, Apollo 16 astronauts John Young and Charles Duke recorded video during one such drive in 1972, with a digital version now available on the web. No matter which direction it headed, the Lunar Rover traveled a path literally covered with rocks and craters. The first half of the above video shows the rover zipping about a moonscape near 10 kilometers per hour, while the second half shows a dash-cam like view. The Lunar Rover was deployed on the later Apollo missions as a way for astronauts to reach and explore terrain further from the Lunar Module basecamp than was possible by walking in cumbersome spacesuits. Possible future lunar missions that might deploy robotic rovers capable of beaming back similar videos include those by China, Russia, India, and Google X-Prize contestants.

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[Beyond]

The APOD Robot posted two of them. Maybe it was chewing Double mint gum OR... maybe it thought it was posting it in stereo. This is the top post.

[Boomer12k]

Clicking DISCUSS took me to the wrong APOD. The Comet APOD from two days ago.

Anywho....
This was a very nice video of driving on the moon, nice rooster tail when it turns around and comes back.

Would have been nice to have had a voice over with one of the astronauts who actually drove the Moon rover. But still interesting.

:---[===] *

[metamorphmuses]

"Diving" - typo or some kind of intentional play on words I'm not getting...?

Anyway, I always love this perspective. Lunar driving was so important to making a higher quantity of geological fieldwork, and of greater significance in the quality of the discoveries. Plus, it's just cool!

[Uwe]

Really enjoyed the drive on the moon, thank you, APOD!
btw: Looks like far more than 10 km/h to me. These guys were lucky no highway patrol was close by.

[Indigo_Sunrise]

Clicking DISCUSS took me to the wrong APOD. The Comet APOD from two days ago.

This happened to me too. Can the link be fixed?

And Beyond, there may have been two of them originally posted, but I can't even get one to play. Does the video link need to be fixed also?
I'd like very much to view the video....



ETA: I followed the link in the description text to view the video, but the large image-video 'link' (where the usual APOD images and videos are clickable) does not work for me. Just in case anyone else is having this problem.

[orin stepanek]

Like driving a dune buggy on the beach! I bet they had fun with this rover!

[Sinan İpek]

A stabilized version of the same video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cKpzp358F4

[Moonlady]

I had a deja vu...the comet again

Cool car race up on the moon!

[paglione]

Yeah, fake that wicked dash cam view in a studio, conspiracy nutjobs!

[Beyond]

I wonder how many craters to the gallon/battery charge it got

[RJN]

Yes, the yesterday and tomorrow links were wrong. They have now been fixed. I do apologize. Also "Diving" has been changed to "Driving" where appropriate. Thanks! - RJN

[MoonGloom]

Next time guys, record the audio.
Yes, no one can hear you scream, but they did have a non-vacuum in their suits.
Would have added to the atmosphere so to speak.

[Chris Peterson]

This is one of the best videos for arguing against a faked Moon landing. The dust flying off the wheels is ballistic- something that wouldn't be seen except in a vacuum. Of course, everything that the hoaxers say is pretty ridiculous, but the idea that NASA built a vacuum chamber as huge as a set for these moon buggy videos is truly absurd!

[APODFORIST]

Was there a "Plan B" in case of car failure at most distant point from lunar module?

(I thought in case of emergency the astronauts would leave all equipment behind and would start WALKING back. Would have been 10km by walk too much?)

[Borc]

I'm curious what their controls for the buggy were. I imagine the standard accelerate/brake pedals wouldn't be too easy to use with those bulky spacey suits. Maybe one foot per? Looks like dude's hands are operating the camera. I'm so jealous. I want to fly in space.

[BMAONE23]

This is one of the best videos for arguing against a faked Moon landing. The dust flying off the wheels is ballistic- something that wouldn't be seen except in a vacuum. Of course, everything that the hoaxers say is pretty ridiculous, but the idea that NASA built a vacuum chamber as huge as a set for these moon buggy videos is truly absurd!

Yea...BUT...Where are the stars??

[Chris Peterson]

This is one of the best videos for arguing against a faked Moon landing. The dust flying off the wheels is ballistic- something that wouldn't be seen except in a vacuum. Of course, everything that the hoaxers say is pretty ridiculous, but the idea that NASA built a vacuum chamber as huge as a set for these moon buggy videos is truly absurd!

Yea...BUT...Where are the stars?? :mrgreen: :wink: :lol2:

You can't see them through the titanium walls of the 1000 meter diameter vacuum vessel...

[Anthony Barreiro]

I'm curious what their controls for the buggy were. I imagine the standard accelerate/brake pedals wouldn't be too easy to use with those bulky spacey suits. Maybe one foot per? Looks like dude's hands are operating the camera. I'm so jealous. I want to fly in space.

Control and navigation
A T-shaped hand controller situated between the two seats controlled the four drive motors, two steering motors, and brakes. Moving the stick forward powered the LRV forward, left and right turned the vehicle left or right, and pulling backwards activated the brakes. Activating a switch on the handle before pulling back would put the LRV into reverse. Pulling the handle all the way back activated a parking brake. The control and display modules were situated in front of the handle and gave information on the speed, heading, pitch, and power and temperature levels.

Navigation was based on continuously recording direction and distance through use of a directional gyro and odometer and feeding this data to a computer that would keep track of the overall direction and distance back to the LM. There was also a Sun-shadow device that could give a manual heading based on the direction of the Sun, using the fact that the Sun moved very slowly in the sky.

Watching the video, I was impressed by how dusty the Moon is, and how quickly the dust settled down after being disturbed -- no dust motes hanging in the air!

Also, I think the rover appears to be moving more quickly than it really is, because the Moon is smaller than the Earth and thus the horizon much closer than we Terrans would unconsciously assume.

I seriously wanted a lunar rover when I was eleven.

[BMAONE23]

Here is a good youtube clip about the Lunar Rover Setup

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ShauSWcTC4

[John R]

For shame! This is a video, but it was originally FILM. I think that distinction should be made, and what film camera was used, AND film format?? (16 mm, 35 mm?) Thanks!

[alter-ego]

For shame! This is a video, but it was originally FILM. I think that distinction should be made, and what film camera was used, AND film format?? (16 mm, 35 mm?) Thanks!

It was a 16mm movie camera, likely the battery operated one. They had two movie cameras.
A list of Apollo 16's photographic equipment can be found here.

[neufer]

Was there a "Plan B" in case of car failure at most distant point from lunar module?

Plan B = AAA

[Beyond]

Was there a "Plan B" in case of car failure at most distant point from lunar module?

Plan B = AAA

The battery, or the company

[bystander]

For shame! This is a video, but it was originally FILM. I think that distinction should be made, and what film camera was used, AND film format?? (16 mm, 35 mm?) Thanks!

Apollo 16 astronauts John Young and Charlie Duke take the lunar rover for a spin on the surface of the moon in this film footage of what became known as the "lunar rover Grand Prix". This footage was shot on 16mm film and is silent.