377. [Apollo 15] JAMES IRWIN, THE FIRST LUNAR ROVER, AND THE LM FALCON AT HADLEY BASE David Scott, 26 July - 7 August 1971, EVA 1 Printed 1971. Vintage chromogenic print on fibre-based Kodak paper [NASA image AS15-86-11598]. With "A Kodak Paper" watermark on the reverse, numbered "NASA AS15-86-11598" in red in the top margin (issued by NASA Manned Spacecraft Centre, Houston, Texas). 20.3 x 25.4 cm. (8 x 10 in.) Historical context The first base of extended human exploration beyond Earth. James Irwin stands next to the Lunar Rover near the Lunar Module Falcon at Hadley Base, with Mount Hadley delta in the background. Footprints and Rover tracks crisscross the foreground, marking the historic path of Apollo 15's groundbreaking exploration. Apollo 15 was the first mission of true scientific exploration on the Moon. The Lunar Rover revolutionized surface operations, enabling Scott and Irwin to cover greater distances and collect more geological samples than the three previous Apollo landings combined. With this mobility, they explored diverse terrain, from the base of mountains to the edge of deep craters, offering unprecedented insight into the Moon's history. "We were a base... I mean, if we'd had more oxygen and more food and more water in the LM, we could've stayed there. Nothing wore out... The rover's still good. You could go out there and start it up right now. So, we had a lunar base established." —David Scott (Chaikin, Voices, p. 192) Literature Spacecam: Photographing the Final Frontier from Apollo to Hubble, Hope, p. 28 (variant) Apollo: The Epic Journey to the Moon, Reynolds, p. 177 (variant)