Parts of a Lunar Rover Antenna

The Lunar Rover Vehicle (LRV) was developed and constructed by the Boeing Company in the early 1970s. The goal of the system was to allow U.S. astronauts freedom of movement across the lunar landscape, as well as offering an opportunity to acquire additional specimen payloads. When communicating between the lunar surface and the command pilot orbiting the moon, or when talking with the Houston communication center, the rover employed a multiarray antenna arrangement comprised of three parts a hi-gain signal component, a low-gain signal component and a Lunar Communications Receiving Unit (LCRU).
  1. Hi-Gain

    • This structure operated in what is referred to as the "S-band." This high-frequency component was primarily used to deliver video or long-distance voice signals between the lunar surface and the Earth.

    Low-Gain

    • This component was primarily used to deliver voice communications between the lunar surface and the orbiting command pilot. However, in the event that the hi-gain system failed, the low-gain system also could be used as a backup for Earth communications.

    Lunar Communications Relay Unit (LCRU)

    • The LCRU managed dual-frequency duplex communications between the rover, the command module and the Houston communications center. In effect the LCRU was the communications central processor for all signals from the rover and its constituent systems.

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