A sample of wire mesh of the Lunar Roving Vehicle wheel, designed for the Apollo 15 mission, made by General Motors at the Delco Electronics Santa Barbara laboratory, 1970-1971.
The Apollo 15 mission of July 1971 used a Lunar Roving Vehicle. The wheels of the Lunar Roving Vehicle were made of a wire mesh frame, each tyre weighing 5.5 kgs, instead of the standard rubber tyres filled with air used on Earth, to allow for a smoother ride on the moon’s surface.
Details
- Category:
- Space Technology
- Object Number:
- Y1991.50.32
- Materials:
- metal (unknown)
- Measurements:
-
overall: 1 mm x 230 mm x 230 mm, 55 g
- type:
- spacecraft component
- credit:
- Gift of Dr. K. Gilroy.
