7/31/1971 : Apollo 15 astronauts become the first to ride in a lunar rover on the moon
Apollo 15 was the ninth crewed mission in the United States’ Apollo program, and the fourth to land on the Moon. It was the first J mission, with a longer stay on the Moon and a greater focus on science than earlier landings. Apollo 15 saw the first use of the Lunar Roving Vehicle.
The mission began on July 26, 1971, and ended on August 7, the lunar surface exploration taking place between July 30 and August 2. Commander David Scott and Lunar Module Pilot James Irwin landed near Hadley Rille and explored the local area using the rover, allowing them to travel further from the lunar module than had been possible on previous missions. They spent 181⁄2 hours on the Moon’s surface on extravehicular activity(EVA), and collected 170 pounds (77 kg) of surface material.