Nicholas C. Costes
Published: 1972
Total Pages: 92
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The constraints of the Apollo 15 mission dictated that the average and limiting performance capabilities of the first manned Lunar Roving Vehicle, when operated on the lunar vehicle, be known or estimated within narrow margins. For this reason, extensive studies were conducted during the year preceding the Apollo 15 launch and are described herein. The results of these studies are compared with the actual performance of the Lunar Roving Vehicle during the Apollo 15 mission. From this comparison, conclusions are drawn relating to the capabilities and limitations of current terrestrial methodology in predicting the mobility performance of lunar roving vehicles under in-situ environmental conditions, and recommendations are offered concerning the performance of surface vehicles on future missions related to lunar or planetary exploration.