Apollo 15
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Launched: 26 July 1971 UT 13:34:00 (09:34:00 a.m. EDT)
David R. Scott, commander |
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Apollo 15 was the fifth spacecraft (fourth accomplished) and the first of the J-series Apollo missions designed to land humans on the moon. The lunar landing site for the 12-day scientific mission was the Hadley Rille-Apennine mountain region at 26 deg 06 min 54 sec N, 3 deg 39 min 30 sec E on the lunar surface. The lunar module (LM) carrying astronauts David Scott and James Irwin and the lunar roving vehicle (LRV) landed on the moon on July 31, 1971. The command service module (CSM) piloted by Alfred Worden remained in a slightly elliptical orbit at an altitude of 93 by 120 km with an inclination of 23 deg. The projects carried out on the surface included the deployment of the Apollo lunar surface experiments package (ALSEP), geological field exploration in three EVA excursions, documenting photography, and acquisition of samples of the lunar terrain. Photographs using 16- and 70-mm film were obtained from both the surface and from orbit, and 35-mm and two kinds of 5-in. film photographs were obtained from orbit. Special UV and dimlight photographic experiments were performed during orbit. Before leaving the lunar environment, a subsatellite (71-063D) with an experiments package was released from the CSM on August 4, 1971, into an orbit 135 by 97 km. The LRV was used to explore regions within 5 km of the LM landing site. This was the first time a vehicle of this type had been used, and its performance on the lunar terrain was very successful. The CSM and LM vehicles rejoined on August 2, 1971, performed further photographic experiments in orbit around the moon for 2 days. The LM was separated for lunar impact, and the CSM was placed in earthbound trajectory. The service module was separated enroute, and the CM returned to Earth on August 7, 1971. More information on the LM may be found under spacecraft record 71-063C. The spacecraft mass of 30,371 kg is the mass of the CSM including propellants and expendables. Apollo 15 splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on 7 August 1971 at 20:45:53 UT (4:45:53 p.m. EDT) after a mission elapsed time of 295 hrs, 11 mins, 53 secs. The splashdown point was 26 deg 7 min N, 158 deg, 8 min W, 330 miles north of Honolulu, Hawaii and 9.8 km (6.1 mi) from the recovery ship USS Okinawa. The Apollo 15 command module "Endeavor" is on display at the USAF Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio. |
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An oblique view of the Hadley-Apennine area, looking north, as photographed by the Fairchild metric camera in the SIM bay of the Apollo 15 Command/Service Module in lunar orbit. Hadley Rille meanders through the lower center of the picture. The Apennine Mountains are at lower right. The Apollo 15 Lunar Module touchdown point is on the east side of the "chicken beak" of Hadley Rille. The Caucasus Mountains are at upper right. The dark mare area at the extreme upper right is a portion of the Sea of Serenity. The Marsh of Decay is at lower left. The large crater near the horizon is Aristillus, which is about 55 kilometers (34.18 statute miles) in diameter. The crater just to the south of Aristillus is Autolycus, which is about 40 kilometers (35 statute miles) in diameter. The crater Cassini is barely visible on the horizon at upper right. |  (57k) |
A near vertical view of the crater Tsiolkovsky on the lunar farside, as photographed by the Fairchild metric camera in the SIM bay of the Apollo 15 Command/Service Module in lunar orbit. This view is looking northerly. The coordinates of the crater's central peaks are 128 degrees east longitude and 20 degrees south latitude. The mare area measured from east to west is approximately 145 kilometers (about 90 statute miles) across. | ||||||||||
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An oblique view of a portion of the lunar nearside located near the northeast edge of Ocean of Storms (Oceanus Procellarum), photographed from the Apollo 15 spacecraft in lunar orbit, showing the bright apearing crater Aristarchus on the left, the Crater Merodotus on the right, and Schroter's Valley at lower right. This view is looking southward. The head of Schroter's Valley, a sinuous rille in the Aristarchus Plateau, is called Cobra Head. The coordinates of the center of Aristarchus crater are 47.5 degrees west longitude and 23.6 degrees north latitude. |  (36k) |
An oblique view of a portion of the large crater Posidonius at the northeastern edge of the Sea of Serenity, as photographed from the Apollo 15 spacecraft in lunar orbit. Posidonius P is in the corner of the picture. The much smaller crater nearby is Posidonius F. The crater inside Posidonius is Posidonius A. Rima Posidonius II extends along inside Posidonius. The diamter of Posidonius is approximately 100 kilometers (about 62 statute miles). Posidonius is partly filled and the rim partly covered with mare material. This view is looking northwestward. | ||||||||||
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Astronaut James B. Irwin, lunar module pilot, works at the Lunar Roving Vehicle during the first Apollo 15 lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA-1) at the Hadley-Apennine landing site. A portion of the Lunar Module "Falcon" is on the left. The undeployed Laser Ranging Retro Reflector (LR-3) lies atop the LM's MOdulear Equipment Stowage Assembly (MESA). This view is looking slightly west of south. Hadley Delta and the Apennine Front are in the background to the left. St. George crater is approximately 5 kilometers (about 3 statute miles) in the distance behind Irwin's head. This photograph was taken by Astronaut David R. Scott, Apollo 15 commander. |  (75k) |
Astronaut James B. Irwin, lunar module pilot, gives a military salute while standing beside the deployed U.S. flag during the Apollo 15 lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Hadley-Apennine landing site. The flag was deployed toward the end of EVA-2. The Lunar Module "Falcon" is partially visible on the right. Hadley Delta in the background rises approximately 4,000 meters (about 13,124 feet) above the plain. The base of the mountain is approximately 5 kilometers (about 3 statute miles) away. This photograph was taken by Astronaut David R. Scott, Apollo 15 commander. | ||||||||||
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Astronaut James B. Irwin, lunar module pilot, works at the Lunar Roving Vehicle during the first Apollo 15 lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA-1) at the Hadley-Apennine landing site. The shadow of the Lunar Module "Falcon" is in the foreground. This view is looking northeast, with Mount Hadley in the background. This photograph was taken by Astronaut David R. Scott, commander. |  (38k) |
An excellent view of the Apollo 15 Command/Service Module in lunar orbit as photographed from the Lunar Module just after rendezvous. | ||||||||||
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