The first SUV was driven on the moon

<strong>was</strong> familiar with the response,
he stepped on the gas and attempted
to “drive as fast as possible.”
You could compare the lunar surface
with the deserts in California. “It is
extremely uneven and covered with fine,
slippery dust,” explains Scott. “I tried
to negotiate the constantly changing
formations as well as I could.”
Still today, Scott is extremely
impressed by the engineering feat:
“<strong>The</strong> LRV <strong>was</strong> a superb vehicle with an
excellent design.” He can’t tip his hat
enough to the people who designed
and built it. He also considers every
penny of the astronomical price
well spent: “Measured against the
benefits, the LRV <strong>was</strong> pretty cheap.”
In terms of mechanics, the lunar rover
<strong>was</strong> far ahead of its time: battery-
powered wheel hub motors attached
via a harmonic drive reduction unit,
independent wheel suspension on
torsion springs and fluid-free finned
radiators. <strong>The</strong> wheels were made of
spun aluminum wire and covered with
titanium chevrons.
<strong>The</strong> maneuverability <strong>was</strong> just as
impressive: step climbing capability
25 centimeters, crevasse crossing
50 centimeters, 25-degree gradability,
80-degree overhang angle (front and
rear), 35-centimeter ground clearance,
rollover-resistant to 45 degrees on all
sides. But the top speed <strong>was</strong> nothing
to write home about: <strong>The</strong> relatively
light vehicle, weighing 210 kilograms,
achieved only 14 kilometers per
hour. Fast enough for Scott. If you
go too fast, you can’t tell where the
bumps are. <strong>The</strong> LRV bounces over
scattered boulders; each crater is a
surprise. “I <strong>was</strong> really impressed by the
performance,” says Scott, who sat
in the lunar rover back then with the
pilot of the Lunar Module, James
Benson Irwin. He tells of a hill they
drove to the top of: “It had about a
13 percent grade.” <strong>The</strong> surface <strong>was</strong> like
powder snow. On that terrain, you could
hardly walk a single step. “It <strong>was</strong>n’t
until we got out at the top and looked
around that we realized how high up we
were,” Scott recalls today.
<strong>The</strong> Apollo astronauts
had a continuous view of
their home planet some
400,000 kilometers away.
43