When did Apollo 15 launch and land on the Moon?
The Saturn V rocket designated SA-510 launched Apollo 15 on the 26th of July 1971. The Lunar Module Falcon landed at Hadley Rille on the 30th of July 1971.
Questions about Apollo 15
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who were the three astronauts assigned to the Apollo 15 mission?
David Scott served as commander, James Irwin was the lunar module pilot, and Alfred Worden acted as command module pilot. All three men had attended the University of Michigan which was the first university to offer an aeronautical engineering program.
What scientific equipment did Alfred Worden operate in orbit around the Moon?
Worden operated instruments in the Scientific Instrument Module bay including a gamma-ray spectrometer and laser altimeter. He also used a panoramic camera derived from spy technology and an alpha particle spectrometer to detect evidence of lunar volcanism.
Why did NASA change the landing site for Apollo 15 from Censorinus crater to Hadley Rille?
Budget cuts forced a shift in strategy that moved the landing site to Hadley Rille near the Apennine mountains. Commander David Scott felt Hadley offered more variety and beauty compared to other options like Marius crater.
How long did each extravehicular activity last during the Apollo 15 surface operations?
The first EVA lasted 6 hours and 32 minutes while the second ran 7 hours and 12 minutes. The final moonwalk took 4 hours, 49 minutes, and 50 seconds.