The Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle was an engineering marvel, but It would have collapsed on Earth under the weight of a suited astronaut. That's because it was designed to operate in lunar gravity, which pulls with about 15% as much force as Earth gravity. In the 1960s, engineers at the U.S. Geological Survey's Astrogeology Branch built a near-copy of the Apollo rover that could be used on Earth for astronaut training and lunar exploration planning. They called it Grover the Geologic Rover. Below are a set of photos detailing the assembly process and astronaut training which involved Grover.
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Astrolink: Online Collections + Resources
As the Astrolink works to digitize our materials for all to use, you can find collections and online resources related to our archive on this page.
Astrolink
Astrolink currently houses more than 100,000 lunar and planetary maps, a reference library, an ever-growing photo and document collection that chronicles the historic and on-going activities of USGS Astrogeology, assorted artifacts (including Grover, the Apollo-era astronaut training rover), the MRCTR GIS Lab Space, and a work room for visiting researchers. Tours of Astrolink, as well as archival...
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Astrolink: Online Collections + Resources
As the Astrolink works to digitize our materials for all to use, you can find collections and online resources related to our archive on this page.
Astrolink
Astrolink currently houses more than 100,000 lunar and planetary maps, a reference library, an ever-growing photo and document collection that chronicles the historic and on-going activities of USGS Astrogeology, assorted artifacts (including Grover, the Apollo-era astronaut training rover), the MRCTR GIS Lab Space, and a work room for visiting researchers. Tours of Astrolink, as well as archival...