| Apollo 15 was launched July 26, 1971, and landed near Hadley Rille and the Apennine Mountains 744 km (462 miles) north of the lunar equator. On this day, U.S. astronauts James B. Irwin and David Scott first used the Lunar Roving Vehicle, a four-wheeled, battery-powered vehicle, to extensively explore the Moon's surface. Apollo 15 returned on August 7, 1971, with 77 kg (170 pounds) of lunar ... |