Look! That’s a Chevy Corvette on the moon

Fifty years ago, on July 31, 1971, Apollo 15 became the first mission to use the Lunar Roving Vehicle. The LRV was a lightweight, electric vehicle designed to operate in the low-gravity vacuum of the Moon. It was capable of traversing the lunar surface, allowing Apollo astronauts to extend the range of their extravehicular activities. And it was based on a Chevrolet Corvette sportscar! Here you can see astronaut James B. Irwin, lunar module pilot, next to the Lunar Roving Vehicle during the first Apollo 15 lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Hadley-Apennine landing site.

Astronauts James Irwin, Alfred Worden and David Scott with their matching Corvettes, seen here next to the lunar rover that was destined for Apollo 15.

Apollo 17 mission commander Eugene A. Cernan makes a short checkout of the Lunar Roving Vehicle during the early part of the first Apollo 17 extravehicular activity at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. This view of the lunar rover prior to loadup was taken by Harrison H. Schmitt, Lunar Module pilot. The mountain in the right background is the east end of South Massif.

The Lunar Roving Vehicle seen on the surface of the moon. The moon car was quintessentially American, and being based on a Chevrolet Corvette, its connection to the American auto industry and Americans’ love for the automobile meant the lunar vehicle captivated public attention back in the Seventies.

The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) gets a high-speed workout by astronaut John W. Young in the "Grand Prix" run during the third Apollo 16 extravehicular activity at the Descartes landing site. This view is a frame from motion picture film exposed by a 16mm Maurer camera held by astronaut Charles M. Duke, Jr. While astronauts Young and Duke, lunar module pilot, descended onto the lunar surface to explore the Descartes highlands region of the moon, command module pilot Thomas K. Mattingly remained with the Command and Service Modules in lunar orbit.

A Lunar Roving Vehicle trainer being tested by Boeing Delco engineers. Built by by Delco Electronics Division of the General Motors Corporation, the trainer was shipped to NASA’s Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, Texas for an astronaut training program. Under the direction of Marshall Space Flight Center, the LRV was designed to allow Apollo astronauts a greater range of mobility during lunar exploration missions. The LRVs were deployed during the last three Apollo missions; Apollo 15, Apollo 16, and Apollo 17.