Apollo 15 Apollo 15 was launched on July 26, 1971. The Command Module was named "Endeavour." The Lunar Module was named "Falcon."
Astronauts David R. Scott (Commander), James B. Irwin (LM Pilot), and Alfred M. Worden (CM Pilot) reached the moon and began orbiting it on July 29. On July 30, Scott and Irwin entered the LM and descended to the moon. The LM landed in the Mare Imbrium region at the foot of the Apennine mountain range.
Scott and Irwin made three moonwalk EVAs totaling 18 hours, 35 minutes. During this time they covered 27.9 km, collected 76.8 kg of rock and soil samples, took photographs, and set up the ALSEP and performed other scientific experiments. Apollo 15 was the first mission which employed the Lunar Roving Vehicle which was used to explore regions within 5 km of the LM landing site. After the final EVA Scott performed a televised demonstration of a hammer and feather falling at the same rate in the lunar vacuum. The CSM remained in a slightly elliptical orbit from which Worden performed scientific experiments. The LM lifted off from the moon on 2 August after 66 hours, 55 minutes on the lunar surface. On August 5, Worden carried out the first deep space EVA when he exited the CM and made three trips to the SIM bay at the rear of the SM to retrieve film cannisters and check the equipment. The CM returned to earth on August 7. One of the three main parachutes failed to open fully, causing the capsule to fall faster than expected, but no harm was caused. References:
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