508 a
James Irwin

Panoramic view of Hadley Canyon and Mount Hadley at station 2

Apollo 15, July 26 - August 7, 1971, EVA 1, 122:38:47 GET

Unique hand mosaic of five vintage gelatin silver prints on fiber-based paper, numbered “NASA AS15-85-11425 to AS15 85-11430” (NASA MSC) in black in top margin, with a stain and small restauration at top left of image and white margin, overall size 24.5 x 65cm

508 b
James Irwin

Panoramic view of David Scott examining a rock near the Lunar Rover parked at St George Crater’s station 2

Apollo 15, July 26 - August 7, 1971, EVA 1, 122:38:47 GET

Unique hand mosaic of seven vintage gelatin silver prints on fiber-based paper, numbered “NASA AS15-85-11432 to AS15-85-11438” (NASA MSC) in black in top margin, overall size, 27.5 x 80cm
27.5 x 80cm

508 a
NASA SP-289, appendix D, figure D-4 (b); Constantine, p.67.

508 b
NASA SP-289, appendix D, figure D-4 (a); Constantine, p.67.

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Lot Essay

508 a
Irwin took this superb panorama at station 2 on the steep slope of Mount Hadley Delta below St George Crater as the crew arrived near the edge of Hadley Canyon, whose east wall is blackened by shadow.

“Measuring one mile across and 1,000 feet deep, the winding canyon is littered with boulders and continues for almost 80 miles along the edge of the Marsh of Decay. Rilles like Hadley may have been formed originally as underground lava tubes, only to have their roofs later bombarbed away by aeons of meteoritic impact” (Light, plate 72).

Hill 305, the North Complex with Pluton Crater, Mount Hadley and the Swann Range (left to right) form the skyline in the background. On the outside bend of the rille is Elbow Crater.

“Well, the drive...up toward St. George [crater], on the first day... You don’t have a big peripheral vision. Stop the rover, and get off, and turn around and look, and the goddamn Grand Canyon, Hadley Rille! I mean, that’s an absolute mind-blower,” remembered Scott. “Even though you know it’s there, but you can’t see it, ‘cause you’re driving this little rover next to the ground. Hadley Rille’s over there, you can’t see Hadley Rille. You can’t see craters. All of a sudden you get off and you turn around, and there it is! In all its glory. The Grand Canyon of the Moon! That’s mind-boggling! I mean, that’ll blow you out” (Chaikin, Voices, p. 89).

122:36:30 Scott: Oh, look back there, Jim! Look at that. Oh, look at that! Isn’t that something? We’re up on a slope, Joe, and we’re looking back down into the valley and...
122:36:39 Irwin: That’s beautiful.
122:36:40 Scott: ...That is spectacular! (Pause) (I’ll) get the (TV) antenna pointed here.
122:36:51 Allen (Mission Control): Okay, Jim. And could you give us a frame count...
122:36:53 Irwin: I’m taking a pan.

508 b
“After their first stop at Elbow Crater, the crew didn’t go all the way up to the planned location of station 2 on the rim of St. George Crater because that would have required a significant cross slope drive when all they needed was a point high enough that they could be sure of being up off the young, mare materials. Seven minutes from the first station, they found what they wanted: a meter-sized boulder sitting on the hillside about fifty meters above the valley floor; and parked the Rover at this station 2“ (from the ALSJ mission summary).

This location offered one of the most beautiful scenery witnessed and photographed in any Apollo mission. While Irwin was capturing the panorama (which was not an easy task as he had trouble keeping his position on the steep slope of Hadley Delta), Scott was placing a gnomon next to the boulder. Irwin’s shadow and Rover tracks are in the foreground. At the left of Scott is the slope rising to the peak of Mount Hadley Delta. St George Crater is out of view around the far side. At the right of Scott beyond the Rover, Bennet Hill and Hadley Canyon form the background.

Thanks to the rover-mounted TV camera (and its antenna pointed at Earth so that Mission Control can receive its transmission), Scott and Irwin could share the view with watchers back on Earth,“ exulting over scenery long characterized as barren and drab “ (National Geographic, February 1972, “The Mountains of the Moon,” pp. 242-43).

122:38:41 Scott: Man, you all ought to have a great view this time (with the TV camera). Okay, Jim; let’s go sample this rock.
122:38:46 Allen (Mission Control): Can hardly wait.
122:38:47 Irwin: Let me take a pan here, Dave.
122:38:48 Scott: Okay; get your pan. (Responding to Allen) This is unreal.
122:38:53 Scott: The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. (Long Pause) Man, we’re walking uphill, too! Is that ever uphill! There is one boulder! Very angular, very rough surface texture.