Today in History

July 26, 1971
Fourth Apollo moon mission takes joyriding to new heights
Astronauts David R. Scott, James. B. Irwin and Alfred M Worden blast off in the 4th Apollo excursion to the moon, a 12-day mission highlighted by the debut of the lunar rover. The $12.7 million rover has a top speed of 8.7 miles per hour, and weighs 462 pounds on Earth, but just 77 pounds on the moon. Six days later, after exploring the moon with the rover, Scott pronounces it "sporty driving." The lunar buggy is declared a success and the astronauts returned to Earth August 7, bringing with them crystalline rocks found at the base of the moon’s Apennine Mountains, and believed to be part of the lunar crust.



Today's Feature History Article

Splendid Isolation

When the first astronauts to walk on the Moon returned from their July 1969 lunar expedition, they were confined to quarters




 



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