Apollo Lunar e-Cycle

[Mellow]

Hi, I have googled this and not come up with lots of information, so wondered if anyone here had any info on the lunar e-cycle in this pic...

http://s2.visordown.com/uploads/images/large/46477.jpg

All I know is that there is some confusion about whether it was designed either as a backup in case the Lunar Rover wasn't completed in time for Apollo 15, or for use on Apollo 20 as an additional vehicle or replacement for the moon buggy. However, neither ever happened as the LRV was finished in time for Apollo 15 and of course, Apollo 20 was cancelled.

[ravens_cry]

I did a bit of googling myself and, yeah, information is rather thin on the ground.

Does look pretty fun though. Dirt-biking on the moon, sounds almost as awesome as dune-bugging on the moon.

[R.A.F.]

...I have googled this and not come up with lots of information...

I googled "lunar e cycle" and the only relevant listing was this thread. What search terms did you use?


Looking at it, I can't see how it could possibily be of any practical use...too unstable.

[Mellow]

I tried moon motorbike, apollo motorbike, lunar bike etc... no joy :-(

[ciderman]

Not quite what I was hoping for; http://www.mailorderexpress.com/Born.../dp/B000T7CP1Q

I Like the rocket pods..

Which makes me wonder if a trike could be more stable in the lower gravity... hmm perhaps with front wheel drive and fat tyres I can see it working.

[Mellow]

... I Like the rocket pods..

They do look racy!

[NEOWatcher]

Which makes me wonder if a trike could be more stable in the lower gravity... hmm perhaps with front wheel drive and fat tyres I can see it working.

Interesting question.
3 wheel all terrain vehicles were eliminated because of thier instability in a turn. I would guess that with the lower gravity, the instability would be magnified because the sideways inertia would still be the same, but there would be less weight to keep the wheels on the ground.

Any thoughts?

[ravens_cry]

That seems logical. They also had a bad tendency to wheelie onto their back as the front was so light, which would also be magnified in low gravity.

[Mellow]

3 wheelers work best when you hang the pair of wheels up front with a single one in the back....

[Hal37214]

In other threads on this subject, I've suggested that a Segway-type vehicle could be useful for surface exploration. Compact, self-stabilizing, easy to mount/dismount. I believe there are versions today that are intended for terrain slightly more challenging than a shopping-mall floor, but I admit I'm not familiar with their true capabilities.

[ravens_cry]

Too complicated in my opinion. There is just so many things that can potentially go wrong with a Segway type vehicle. Any vehicle that requires computer monitored gyroscopes to say upright is not being KISS.

[NEOWatcher]

Too complicated in my opinion. There is just so many things that can potentially go wrong with a Segway type vehicle. Any vehicle that requires computer monitored gyroscopes to say upright is not being KISS.

Yeah; who needs something that uses "rocket science" in the space program.

[ravens_cry]

Yeah; who needs something that uses "rocket science" in the space program.

For things besides the rockets?
Who indeed.

[Gemini]

"That's one small bike for a man...and one giant wheelie for mankind!"

[ravens_cry]

"That's one small bike for a man...and one giant wheelie for mankind!"

To quote Charlie Duke after a somewhat similar situation, "That ain't very smart."

[publiusr]

I think Steve-O broke the e-cycle...before Jobs could call it the iCycle. Brr...

[DoggerDan]

I dunno... I've seen even fairly coordinated individuals get into all sorts of problems in 1g. In 1/6g but with the same mass and inertia, I'm picturing veritable disasters.

I'm glad they went with the lunar rover!

[publiusr]

Well, you know me. Forget motorcycles, I want a Sea Dragon launched electric Caterpiller Bulldozer up there with a nuclear pile atop it to do real regolith moving. Many earth movers are already electric powered:
http://www.heavyequipment.com/heavy-...hmoving-mining

Forget memory materials and nano-whatsits. I want drag-lines up there.

In other news, we lost an old friend:
http://astronomy.activeboard.com/t47...lite-re-entry/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explorer_8

"The Explorer 8 satellite re-entered the Earths atmosphere on the 28th March, 2012 @ 01:14 GMT ± 14 minutes."

[ravens_cry]

You burned bright with new knowledge in your younger days, you burned bright as you descended back in fire and flame to the world of your birth, a funeral pyre fit for any Viking king as you burned a line across the sky.
Fare well child of science, fare well.