NASA 1972 Moon Buggy Review: Fun, Fun, Fun

WIRED can't get to all of them in a timely fashion because of the rapid pace of gear releases. We will catch up if they're important. This review is pushing loyal readers' patience because it is 50 years late. I hope you will forgive the tardiness, as this is an appraisal of such an icon, NASA's LRV.

Charles Duke, one of only six humans to ride in the LRV on the lunar surface, is an understandably hard man to pin down. WIRED was able to catch up with the 86-year-old former astronauts and lunar module pilot to learn more about how the electric ride performed on the Apollo 16 mission.

The moon buggy, which was built for the last three missions of the Apollo program, is so light it can fit in a suitcase. Two astronauts, equipment, and lunar samples can be carried with it.

Back in the 1970s, the lunar buggy was designed to travel at just 8 mph on the moon. At the end of 1972 it achieved a heady 11.2 mph.

The full range of the two batteries is just 57 miles. Driving from the Golden Gate Bridge to the city of San Jose is the same thing. The buggy doesn't work once the batteries are flat.

The buggy's final cost was $38 million for the four lunar rovers that were built for Apollo missions 15, 16, and 17 and the additional rover was used for spare parts. The LRV is the definitive single use purchase.

Context would be helpful here. For the same amount of money, you could treat yourself to a Model 3. If they ever happen, you could go crazy with 1,051 of the Founders Series cars, just like Musk did when he shot his own car into space. They would be able to be used for a long time.

Neither of these electric cars, nor any others you'll find on the highway, are capable of ferrying two astronauts, scientific equipment, and lunar soil and rock samples for 78 hours from Earth to the moon. The buggy can carry something. It went from a blank sheet of paper to being delivered by NASA in 17 and a half months. Let's not make a big deal out of it.

There is moon-euverability.

The moon buggy had to deal with terrain covered with dead volcanoes, impact craters, and lava flows. NASA warned its Apollo astronauts not to go higher than 10 mph in the buggy if they wanted to stay on the moon. To ensure the safety of its passengers, the EV had to be maneuvered in the extreme.