Lunar exploration: astronaut Scott photographed by astronaut Irwin on the Moon during the Apollo 15 mission. Scott is seen next to the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV), used for the first time on this mission. Apollo 15 landed in the Hadley-Appenine region on 30 July 1971. During their 67 hour stay on the Moon, Scott and Irwin made three excursions totalling 18 hours 35 minutes. The LRV enabled them to travel a total of 28 kilometres, making many stops for taking samples of lunar soil. The LRV was powered by four 200 Watt electric motors, giving it a top speed of 11.2 km per hour. Scott and Irwin, with Command Module pilot Worden, returned to Earth on 7 August 1971.