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See the Apollo Lunar Rover Like Never Before
The National Air and Space Museum has thoughtfully provided these gorgeous close-up shots of the lunar lander test article in its inventory.
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Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum
In addition to the three dune buggy-style Lunar Roving Vehicle's that Boeing built for NASA's Apollo 15,16, and 17 missions in the early 1970s, the contractor also built eight non-flight units for development and testing.
Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum has the Qualification Test Unit, which endured severe testing to confirm the design's suitability for the moon mission, in its inventory (along with Star Trek's U.S.S. Enterprise model).
Now, the museum has photographed the lunar rover so we can get a close look at the astronauts' moon buggy.
The Boeing Lunar Roving Vehicle at work on the moon.
About the Author
Dan’s coverage of the auto industry over three decades has taken him to the racetracks, automotive engineering centers, vehicle simulators, wind tunnels, and crash-test labs of the world.
A member of the North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year jury, Dan also contributes car reviews to Popular Science magazine, serves on the International Engine of the Year jury, and has judged the collegiate Formula SAE competition.
Dan is a winner of the International Motor Press Association's Ken Purdy Award for automotive writing, as well as the National Motorsports Press Association's award for magazine writing and the Washington Automotive Press Association's Golden Quill award.
Dan, testing the 2025 Aston Martin Vanquish. ANDY MORGAN/ASTON MARTIN
He has held a Sports Car Club of America racing license since 1991, is an SCCA National race winner, two-time SCCA Runoffs competitor in Formula F, and an Old Dominion Region Driver of the Year award winner. Co-drove a Ford Focus 1.0-liter EcoBoost to 16 Federation Internationale de l’Automobile-accredited world speed records over distances from just under 1km to over 4,104km at the CERAM test circuit in Mortefontaine, France.
He was also a longtime contributor to the Society of Automotive Engineers' Automotive Engineering International magazine.
He specializes in analyzing technical developments, particularly in the areas of motorsports, efficiency, and safety.
He has been published in The New York Times, NBC News, Motor Trend, Popular Mechanics, The Washington Post, Hagerty, AutoTrader.com, Maxim, RaceCar Engineering, AutoWeek, Virginia Living, and others.
Dan has authored books on the Honda S2000 and Dodge Viper sports cars and contributed automotive content to the consumer finance book, Fight For Your Money.
He is a member and past president of the Washington Automotive Press Association and is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers.
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