Apollo
Apollo 15
Apollo 15 was the first of NASA's extended J-missions, introducing the Lunar Roving Vehicle and dramatically expanding the scientific exploration of the Moon. The mission returned a record collection of lunar samples, deployed advanced experiments, and discovered the famous Genesis Rock.
Launch
July 26, 1971
Duration
12 days, 7 hours, 11 minutes, 53 seconds
Crew
Uncrewed
Mission record
Apollo archive entry · Successful
Mission Overview
The mission
Apollo 15 was the first of NASA's extended J-missions, introducing the Lunar Roving Vehicle and dramatically expanding the scientific exploration of the Moon. The mission returned a record collection of lunar samples, deployed advanced experiments, and discovered the famous Genesis Rock.
Mission Details
Program
Apollo
Launch
July 26, 1971
Duration
12 days, 7 hours, 11 minutes, 53 seconds
Status
Successful
Mission by the Numbers
Mission Statistics
Mission Type
Extended Crewed Lunar Exploration
Launch Vehicle
Saturn V AS-510
Crew
0 astronauts
Status
Successful
Mission Goals
Mission objectives
- 01
Conduct the first extended Apollo J-mission.
- 02
Demonstrate the Lunar Roving Vehicle.
- 03
Land in the Hadley-Apennine region.
- 04
Deploy the expanded Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP).
- 05
Complete three lunar EVAs.
- 06
Explore Hadley Rille and the Apennine Mountains.
- 07
Collect deep geological samples.
- 08
Perform orbital mapping using the Scientific Instrument Module.
- 09
Conduct subsatellite deployment.
- 10
Perform deep-space EVA during the return journey.
- 11
Return extensive lunar samples.
- 12
Evaluate long-duration lunar surface operations.
- 13
Expand understanding of lunar geology.
- 14
Demonstrate advanced scientific exploration techniques.
- 15
Prepare NASA for increasingly ambitious lunar missions.
Mission Timeline
July 26, 1971 · 9:34 a.m. EDT
Launch
Apollo 15 launched aboard Saturn V AS-510 from Kennedy Space Center, beginning NASA's first extended J-mission.
Earth Orbit
Parking Orbit
Following a successful launch, Apollo 15 entered temporary Earth orbit before receiving approval for the journey to the Moon.
Trans-Lunar Injection
Departure for the Moon
The S-IVB third stage successfully accelerated Apollo 15 toward the Hadley-Apennine region of the Moon.
Deep Space
Cruise Phase
The crew completed navigation updates, spacecraft inspections, television broadcasts, and scientific observations during the three-day translunar coast.
July 29, 1971
Lunar Orbit Insertion
Apollo 15 entered lunar orbit, allowing Alfred Worden to begin orbital photography and preparations for surface operations.
July 30, 1971
Falcon Separates
David Scott and James Irwin entered the Lunar Module Falcon and undocked from Alfred Worden aboard the Command Module Endeavour.
Powered Descent Initiation
Landing Begins
Falcon began its powered descent toward the Hadley-Apennine landing site, one of the most scientifically valuable regions ever targeted by Apollo.
July 30, 1971
Landing at Hadley-Apennine
Falcon landed successfully near Hadley Rille, beginning the longest and most ambitious surface exploration mission attempted to date.
Surface Operations
Preparing for EVA-1
David Scott and James Irwin configured Falcon for surface operations, activated life-support systems, and prepared for humanity's first extended scientific expedition on the Moon.
EVA-1
Deploying the Lunar Rover
The astronauts unfolded and activated the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV), becoming the first humans to drive on another world. The rover dramatically expanded the distance they could explore.
First Moonwalk
ALSEP Deployment
Scott and Irwin deployed the expanded Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), installing instruments that would continue transmitting scientific data long after the astronauts departed.
Hadley Region
Exploring Hadley Rille
The crew investigated the dramatic Hadley Rille, a massive winding channel believed to have formed billions of years earlier through volcanic processes or collapsing lava tubes.
Second EVA
Apennine Mountains Traverse
Using the Lunar Rover, the astronauts climbed the lower slopes of the Apennine Mountains, collecting samples from terrain never before explored by humans.
Genesis Rock Discovery
Ancient Lunar Crust
Scott collected Sample 15415, later nicknamed the 'Genesis Rock.' Scientists determined it was an ancient anorthosite believed to have formed during the Moon's earliest crustal development over four billion years ago.
Third EVA
Extended Geological Survey
The final moonwalk focused on additional geological stations, panoramic photography, trench sampling, and documenting the complex terrain surrounding Hadley Rille.
Fallen Astronaut
Memorial Ceremony
Before departing, David Scott quietly placed a small aluminum sculpture called Fallen Astronaut beside a plaque honoring astronauts and cosmonauts who had died advancing space exploration.
Orbital Operations
Scientific Mapping
While Scott and Irwin explored the surface, Alfred Worden operated cameras, spectrometers, and mapping instruments from Endeavour's Scientific Instrument Module (SIM) bay.
Lunar Liftoff
Falcon Departs
After nearly three days on the Moon, Falcon successfully lifted off and rendezvoused with Endeavour in lunar orbit.
Trans-Earth Injection
Journey Home
Apollo 15 departed lunar orbit after deploying a small scientific subsatellite to continue studying the Moon from orbit.
Deep Space EVA
Film Retrieval
During the return journey, Alfred Worden performed the first deep-space EVA, retrieving film canisters from the SIM bay while nearly 200,000 miles from Earth.
August 7, 1971
Splashdown
Apollo 15 safely splashed down in the Pacific Ocean after completing one of the most scientifically productive missions of the Apollo Program.
Mission Complete
A New Era of Lunar Exploration
Apollo 15 proved that humans could conduct extended scientific expeditions on another world, fundamentally changing the goals and capabilities of lunar exploration.
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