Lunar Rover Manual: 1971-1972

A Pleasant Surprise

I was a little disappointed by the Haynes manual for the Space Shuttle, so this volume on the Lunar Roving Vehicle is a real treat for me. Jokey format aside, this book is a fascinating technical history of this unique vehicle that's surprisingly readable and superbly illustrated. Starting with a brief history of the concept of the lunar rover and the LRV design competition, the book delves deep into the numerous technical issues that had to be overcome in the 17 months from contract award to delivery. Each of the eight major systems (mobility, electrical, navigation, etc.) is described in detail and accompanied by numerous photographs and original technical diagrams. The final part describes the actual operation of the LRV on the Moon, and how the astronauts troubleshot problems. It's not a terribly long book, but seemingly no stone seems to have been left unturned. I learned, for example, how the astronauts figured out how to put on their seatbelts without being able to see their laps, how the low-gain antenna could be removed from the rover in case it broke down and the astronauts couldn't communicate with mission control, and how a simple harmonic gear reduced the 4-6,000 rpm created by the electric motors to something more usable by the wheels. No doubt this is a technical work, but the writing style is fairly easygoing, the occasional aside being used to describe some of the more obscure concepts in layman's terms. I also appreciate that the final chapter is written largely from the perspective of the astronauts who actually drove the rover. My only real complaint is the lack of an index, an irritating omission for such a detailed work. If you liked David Woods' previous book "How Apollo Flew to the Moon" you'll probably enjoy this one too. Read more