Mobile Geologic Laboratory (MOLAB)

Training for the Apollo astronauts to be able to identify the composition of soils and rocks they would find on the Moon began early in the lunar program. Training the astronauts was initiated by the U.S. Geologic Survey (U.S.G.S.) and conducted by other government agencies as well. Among the first vehicles built to support this training was the Mobile Geologic Laboratory (pictured above), which became best known for its acronym, MOLAB. It was built by General Motors and delivered to the U.S.G.S. in 1965.  It was conceived to evaluate the feasibility of specific equipment and instruments designed for use on the lunar surface.

Explorer

In 1967, the U.S.G.S. built its first specialized vehicle to be used by the Apollo astronauts in geologic training exercises, called Explorer, pictured above left.  The Lunar Roving Vehicle design was still in the conceptual phase, so this vehicle was a close approximation in terms of size and vehicle control that might be operated on the Moon. The large pressurized and enclosed lunar rovers appeared to be too large and heavy to deliver to the lunar surface. A open, single or double seat rover with the astronauts in their EVA suits seemed the more likely configuration. The Explorer was used by the crews of Apollo 15, 16 (John Young is pictured above right) and 17 in training in Arizona, New Mexico and other locations.  It was powered by a V-8 Jeep engine, featured a rigid welded steel tube frame and employed farm tractor wheels. 

Geologic Rover (Grover)

The 1-G Trainer (see below) being built by General Motors in California as part of the overall Lunar Roving Vehicle contract would not be ready in time for the mission-specific training for the Apollo 15 crew.  The U.S.G.S. was called upon to build an expedient geologic rover training vehicle. Working from Boeing drawings of the LRV, Putty Mills and his crew in Flagstaff, Arizona designed and built a vehicle in only three months. This rugged little vehicle was the Geologic Rover, which was nick-named Grover.  Like the LRV, it was powered by four individual electric motors at each wheel, with the batteries mounted up front, (pictured above, left).  The Apollo J-mission crews used Grover to duplicate the approximate traverse routes at the chosen landing sites for Apollo 15, 16 and 17. Today, Grover is on display at the Eugene Shoemaker Center for Astrogeology of the U.S.G.S. in Flagstaff, Arizona.

General Motors 1-G Trainer

The 1-G LRV Trainer was built by General Motors Delco Division (formerly the Defense Research Laboratories) in California. It was designed to be identical to the LRV but strengthened to support the full weight of the astronauts and their equipment.  It employed pneumatic tires and there were subtle changes to the drive motors, batteries and other changes required to operate on Earth. It was employed in sstronaut training exclusively at Kennedy Space Center, both indoors and outdoors. Indoor training involved in outfitting and configuring the rover with the equipment the astronauts would have to install on the LRV once deployed.  Outdoor training took place at the "rock pile" (shown above) with the astronauts fully suited. The trained in sample collection, surface core drilling and instrument deployment. Today, the 1-G Trainer is on display at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C.