Huntsville in Madison County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
Scott Worden Irwin
Launched: July 26, 1971 Landed: July 30, 1971 Splashdown: August 7, 1971
"It's really rolling hills, up and down we go, buckin' bronco!"
The Apollo 15 mission is best remembered for introducing the electric Lunar Roving Vehicle, better known as the rover (which was developed at Huntsville's Marshall Space Flight Center). For this mission, the first of the longer, more scientific-focused missions, the rover allowed more extensive exploration of the lunar surface. Irwin and Commander Dave Scott spent three days on the Moon, worked on the surface 18½ hours, and journeyed nearly 17 miles on the rover. Relying on their pre-flight geological training, the astronauts made extensive explorations and drilled into the lunar surface for core samples. The rocks and soil they collected included a “Genesis Rock” - a sample believed to date back to the Moon's origin more than four billion years ago. Meanwhile, orbiting in the command module, Al Worden photographed the Moon's surface with mapping cameras attached to the craft's hull. He later retrieved the film during a space walk on the return trip.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Exploration.
Location. 34° 42.665′ N, 86° 39.339′ W. Marker is in Huntsville, Alabama, in Madison County. Marker can be reached from Tranquility Base, half a mile west of Old Madison Pike NW, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 Tranquility Base, Huntsville AL 35805, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Young Mattingly Duke (here, next to this marker); Shepard Roosa Mitchell (here, next to this marker); Lovell Swigert Haise (here, next to this marker); Cernan Evans Schmitt (here, next to this marker); Conrad Gordon Bean (here, next to this marker); Armstrong Collins Aldrin (here, next to this marker); McDivitt Scott Schweickart / Stafford Young Cernan (a few steps from this marker); Schirra Eisele Cunningham / Borman Lovell Anders (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Huntsville.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on October 27, 2013, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. This page has been viewed 740 times since then and 22 times this year. Last updated on July 17, 2015, by J. Makali Bruton of Accra, Ghana. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 27, 2013, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.