Lunar rover
The rover resembled a lightweight buggy equipped with four metal lattice wheels, a foldable chassis and no traditional steering wheel. Instead, a T-shaped controller was used to manage acceleration, braking and turning thanks to the differential speed of its four 0.25 horsepower electric motors. It weighed 210 kg empty, could carry up to 490 kg of payload, including two astronauts, and was equipped with a dashboard with navigation aids such as a compass, odometer and slope indicator to enable a safe return to the lunar module.
Missions and successes
The LRVs were successfully deployed on the Apollo 15, 16 and 17 missions, enabling extended EVAs without any major anomalies despite being developed in just 17 months. The process relied on lunar gravity (1/6th that of Earth) for smooth operation, proven by extensive testing on Earth, in a vacuum and at 1/6 g.
Here we see its deployment from the lunar lander.