527 a
James Irwin

The significant tilt of the LM Falcon standing on the Moon

Apollo 15, July 26 - August 7, 1971, EVA 2, 147:25:00 GET

Unreleased photograph, vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with “A Kodak Paper” watermarks on the verso, numbered “NASA AS15-87-11819” (NASA MSC) in red in top margin

527 b
James Irwin

The LM Falcon with David Scott and the Lunar Rover beyond at the lunar-science station

Apollo 15, July 26 - August 7, 1971, EVA 2, 147:26:30 GET

Vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based Kodak paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with “A Kodak Paper” watermarks on the verso, numbered “NASA AS15-87-11839” (NASA MSC) in red in top margin

527 c
James Irwin

The majestic Mount Hadley

Apollo 15, July 26 - August 7, 1971, EVA 2, 147:26:30 GET

Unreleased photograph, vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based Kodak paper, 20.3 x 21.6cm, left margin trimmed to image, with “A Kodak Paper” watermarks on the verso, numbered “NASA AS15-87-11835” (NASA MSC) in red in top margin

527 d
James Irwin

The descent engine of the LM Falcon

Apollo 15, July 26 - August 7, 1971, EVA 2, 147:27:17 GET

Unreleased photograph, vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based Kodak paper, with “A Kodak Paper” watermarks on the verso, numbered “NASA AS15-87-11842” (NASA MSC) in red in top margin
20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in)

527 c
Jacobs, p.101.

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Lot Essay

527 a
A frame of the second of three panoramic sequences taken by Irwin near the LM at the end of EVA-2, this one at the 4 o’clock position from the LM hatch (northeast of the spacecraft). One of the legs of the LM landed in a small crater so the Module was tilted by 10°; the maximum acceptable being 15°.

“Apollo 15 almost came to ruin the second it touched down,” notes author Jeffrey Kluger. “NASA had strict rules about how sharp an angle was safe for a LM landing, and a 15° slope was the absolute maximum. Any steeper and liftoff could be compromised. The moon’s Hadley-Apennine region was treacherous, however, and the 10-degree incline of the landing spot was the best the crew was able to find. NASA was happy to release images of the Apollo 15 LM photographed from the front, but profile shots such as this one were kept under wraps” (http://time.com/unseen-apollo/).

527 b
A frame of the third of three panoramic sequences taken by Irwin near the LM at the end of EVA-2, this one at the 4 o’clock position from the LM hatch (southeast of the spacecraft).
In the left background, David Scott is moving away from the Rover toward the Central Station at the lunar science station.

“With its oxygen and food and water, the LM is a tiny artificial Earth that comforts us in the void.”
David Scott (National Geographic, September 1973, “What it’s like to walk on the Moon?”, p.328)

527 c
A frame from the third of three panoramic sequences taken by Irwin near the LM at the end of EVA-2, this one at the 4 o’clock position from the LM hatch (southeast of the spacecraft).
Mount Hadley rises 4,765 feet above the plain, which is in full Sun. The imprints made by the Lunar Rover’s tires during its traverses are well-defined in the foreground.

527 d
Irwin took the photograph to document the effect of the descent engine exhaust on the lunar surface. Numerous pieces of trash (which the crew had tossed under the Descent Stage to keep it out from under foot) are visible.