Latest news with #LunarRovingVehicle
Ammon
31-07-2025
- Science
- Ammon
Lunar Roving Vehicle first used on the Moon
Ammon News - On this day in 1971, Apollo 15 astronauts James B. Irwin and David Scott first used the four-wheeled battery-powered Lunar Roving Vehicle to extensively explore the Moon's surface, in particular the Hadley-Apennine site. Britannica
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First Post
31-07-2025
- Science
- First Post
History Today: When humans drove on the Moon for the first time
It was on July 31, 1971, that humans drove on the surface of the Moon for the first time using the Lunar Roving Vehicle. As part of Nasa's Apollo 15 mission, astronauts David Scott and James Irwin drove the LRV for a total of 27.76 kilometres (17.25 miles) and enabling them to explore diverse geological features read more The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) was used for the first time on the Moon. This greatly changed the way Moon exploration worked, leading to an expansion in the range of areas that could be explored by the astronauts. If you are a history geek who loves to learn about important events from the past, Firstpost Explainers' ongoing series, History Today, will be your one-stop destination to explore key events. On this day in 2012, American swimmer Michael Phelps set a new Olympic record by winning 19 medals. With this, he surpassed the previous all-time record of 18 medals held by Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina since 1964. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Here is all that happened on this day. The Lunar Roving Vehicle was first used on the Moon The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) made its historic debut on the Moon's surface on July 31, 1971, during Nasa's Apollo 15 mission. Thus, Astronauts David Scott and James Irwin became the first humans to drive a vehicle on the Moon. Developed by Boeing and Delco Electronics, the LRV was a lightweight, battery-powered, four-wheeled vehicle specifically designed to operate in the Moon's low-gravity, rocky terrain. It could travel up to 8 miles per hour, had a range of about 57 miles, and featured a tubular aluminium frame, mesh wheels, and seats for two astronauts in full space suits. It also included TV cameras, tools, and storage for collected samples. The LRV is photographed alone against the desolate lunar background following the third Apollo 15. File image/Wikimedia Commons Apollo 15 was the first of the 'J-missions,' designed for extended lunar stays and greater scientific exploration. After landing the Lunar Module Falcon at the Hadley-Apennine site, Scott and Irwin deployed the LRV from a folded position on the module's side. Over three separate lunar excursions (Extravehicular Activities or EVAs), Scott and Irwin drove the LRV for a total of 27.76 kilometres (17.25 miles). This enabled them to explore diverse geological features, including the Hadley Rille and the Apennine Mountains and collect a wider variety of rock and soil samples. The success of the LRV on Apollo 15 led to its use on the following two missions, Apollo 16 and Apollo 17, helping to further expand lunar exploration. After each mission, the rovers were left behind on the Moon, where they remain today. Michael Phelps set Olympic record American swimmer Michael Phelps set the record for the most number of medals won at an Olympics on July 31, 2012, at the London Summer Olympics. With a gold medal in the 4x200-metre freestyle relay, Phelps earned his 19th Olympic medal. With this, he surpassed the previous all-time record of 18 held by Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina since 1964. Although he had faced a disappointing start to the London Games, having earned a silver in the 200m butterfly earlier that same night, the relay victory brought a triumphant culmination to his pursuit of this significant milestone. Michael Phelps etched history by becoming the first Olympian to win 19 medals. File image/AP Swimming the anchor leg, Phelps plunged into the water with a commanding lead built by his teammates Ryan Lochte, Conor Dwyer, and Ricky Berens. He powered through his laps, securing the gold medal for the US and, more importantly, etching his name into the annals of Olympic history. The roar of the crowd in the Aquatics Centre underscored the magnitude of the moment. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Phelps would go on to win more medals in London and at the subsequent Rio 2016 Olympics, bringing his astonishing career total to 28 Olympic medals, including 23 gold. This Day, That Year On this day in 2012, American novelist, playwright, and essayist Gore Vidal passed away. US President Harry S Truman dedicated Idlewild Airport as New York International Airport in 1948. The Treaty of Breda ended the Second Anglo-Dutch War and transferred New Netherland (now New York and New Jersey) to England in 1667.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
How NASA Broadcast the First Live Video From the Moon
The camera for Apollo 11 was specially built to withstand extreme lunar conditions for the duration of the mission. The Lunar Rover wasn't used until the Apollo 15 mission, so the camera used for Apollo 11 had more limitations. Live video from the Moon was transmitted back to Earth using advanced technology and a network of receiving stations. Apollo 11, the NASA mission to send people to the moon, ran from July 16 to July 24, 1969. Not much can match this historic event, but the camera and filming methods used deserve attention. Besides landing the first humans on the moon successfully, NASA also managed to broadcast the whole thing live. The Apollo 11 lunar launch ranks as one of television's most-seen events for generations. The live broadcasts let millions experience humans taking steps in space. I can't even begin to imagine the excitement people had leading up to the mission, but luckily we can still watch the footage today. So how was broadcasting this historical event in real-time even possible all those years ago? NASA got in touch with Westinghouse Electric company, which led to the development of a specialized camera for Apollo 11 to record this key moment. Westinghouse Electric company developed a modified slow-scan television (SSTV) camera. The lunar environment posed challenges for the camera's design, so it was modified with special features to be able to work in space. The Moon's temperature swings between 121°C (250°F) in sunlight to -157°C (-251°F) in darkness, making standard cameras useless. The camera needed to function in both very bright conditions and deep shadows. Its design enabled clear recordings even in minimal light. Without air in space, there was no convection or conduction to regulate temperature. Engineers at Westinghouse Electric Company designed the camera to prevent overheating in this environment. The camera also had to last long enough in space to work for the duration of the Apollo 11 mission. It was absolutely essential for it to be energy efficient and capable of running the spacecraft's power (which was limited). So the camera's power consumption was also taken into consideration to make sure it wouldn't affect the spacecraft's energy resources too much. The camera saved bandwidth by transmitting images in a slow-scan format and had a frame rate of 10 frames per second. The video was black-and-white and had a resolution of 320 lines. The footage looks very blurry and pixelated to viewers today, and the video was choppy as the astronauts moved on the Moon's surface. However, it could be a lot worse. Even low quality footage of something so historic is better than not having footage at all, and this represented the best space transmission technology at that time. The Apollo 11 mission did not use a Lunar Rover because it didn't exist back then. A Lunar Roving Vehicle first appeared in 1971 during the Apollo 15 mission. Shooting video on the Moon was only half the battle. NASA faced the challenge of sending signals across 250,000 miles of space in real-time. The antenna used contained gold-plated wire to direct image or sound signals to Earth. The live broadcast met technical problems because of distance, signal loss, and low power on the Moon. NASA used the Unified S-band system to combine video, voice, and other data into one signal, making it easier to send everything from the Moon to Earth without needing multiple antennas. A Westinghouse slow-scan TV camera took video at 10 frames per second instead of the normal 30 frames. The lower speed helped save power as well as reduce data size. Three stations on Earth received the signal, and it moved through ground networks (but also via satellites) to NASA's Mission Control in Houston, Texas. The raw feed was converted to work with TV broadcasts. This is because the format used in the camera for Apollo 11 was incompatible with standard TV broadcasting, so the signal had to be converted to 30 frames per second (fps) using a scan conversion process, which actually degraded the image quality even further when it was seen on television. Though the process reduced picture quality, it made live global broadcasts possible and TV networks across Earth shared these broadcasts with viewers across the world. Remember, the lunar rover wasn't part of Apollo 11's toolkit—it would come into play on later missions—so the astronauts had fewer options for camera placement. The footage we see of Apollo 11's ascent from the Moon is from a 16mm camera inside the Lunar Module, looking out the window as the astronauts lifted off. Even so, this close-up vantage point delivered some of the most memorable footage in history. Afterward, NASA decided to leave the Westinghouse camera right where it was, along with other gear left on the surface, to lighten the load for the journey back. That means the very camera used to show the world this milestone moment is still sitting on the Moon today. Most people remember Neil Armstrong's 'One Small Step,' but it's easy to forget that NASA also pulled off another incredible feat—broadcasting from the Moon's surface in real-time.
