Apollo 15 Objectives
Spacecraft Primary Objectives
1. To perform selenological inspection, survey, and sampling of materials and surface features in a preselected area of the Hadley‑Apennine region. Achieved.
2. To emplace and activate surface experiments. Achieved.
3. To evaluate the capability of the Apollo equipment to provide extended lunar surface stay time, increased extravehicular operations, and surface mobility. Achieved.
4. To conduct inflight experiments and photographic tasks from lunar orbit. Achieved.
Detailed Objectives
1. Lunar rover vehicle evaluation. Achieved.
2. Extravehicular communications with the lunar communications relay unit and ground controlled television assembly. Achieved.
3. Extravehicular mobility unit assessment on lunar surface. Achieved.
4. Lunar module landing effects evaluation. Achieved.
5. Service module orbital photographic tasks. Achieved.
6. Command module photographic tasks. Achieved.
7. Scientific instrument module thermal data. Achieved.
8. Scientific instrument module inspection during extravehicular activity. Achieved.
9. Scientific instrument module door jettison evaluation. Achieved.
10. Lunar module descent engine performance. Achieved.
11. Visual observations from lunar orbit. Achieved.
12. Visual light flash phenomenon. Achieved.
Experiments
1. Contingency sample collection. Achieved.
2. Apollo Lunar Scientific Experiment Package (ALSEP V).
a. S-031: Passive seismic. Achieved.
b. S-034: Lunar surface magnetometer. Achieved.
c. S-035: Solar wind spectrometer. Achieved.
d. S-036: Suprathermal ion detector. Achieved.
e. S-037: Heat flow. Achieved.
3. S-059: Lunar geology investigation. Achieved.
4. S-078: Laser ranging retroreflector. Achieved.
5. S-080: Solar wind composition. Achieved.
6. S-160: Gamma ray spectrometer. Achieved.
7. S-161: X-ray fluorescence. Achieved.
8. S-162: Alpha particle spectrometer. Achieved.
9. S-164: S‑band transponder (command and service module and lunar module). Achieved.
10. S-165: Mass spectrometer. Achieved.
11. S-170: Downlink bistatic radar observations of the Moon. Achieved.
12. S-176: Apollo window meteoroid. Achieved.
13. S-177: Ultraviolet photography of the Earth and Moon. Achieved.
14. S-178: Gegenschein from lunar orbit. Not achieved. The 14 35 mm photographs scheduled for this experiment were not obtained due to an error in the spacecraft photographic attitudes.
15. S-200: Soil mechanics. Achieved.
16. M-078: Bone mineral measurement. Achieved.
17. M-515: Lunar dust detector. Achieved.
Subsatellite Experiments
1. S‑164: S‑band transponder. Achieved.
2. S‑173: Particle shadows/boundary layer. Achieved.
3. S‑174: Magnetometer. Achieved.
Operational Tests
1. For Manned
a. Lunar gravity measurement using the lunar module primary guidance system. Achieved.
b. Lunar module voice and data relay test. Achieved.
2. For Department of Defense/Kennedy Space Center
a. Chapel
b. Radar skin tracking.
c. Ionospheric disturbance from missiles.
d. Acoustic measurement of missile exhaust noise.
e. Army acoustic test.
f. Long‑focal‑length optical system.
g. Sonic boom measurement.
Launch Vehicle Objectives
1. To launch on a flight azimuth between 80° and 100° and insert the S‑IVB/instrument unit/spacecraft into the planned circular Earth parking orbit. Achieved.
2. To restart the S‑IVB during either the second or third revolution and inject the S‑IVB/instrument unit/spacecraft into the planned translunar trajectory. Achieved.
3. To provide the required attitude control for the S‑IVB/instrument unit/spacecraft during transposition, docking, and ejection. Achieved.
4. To perform an evasive maneuver after ejection of the command and service module/lunar module from the S‑IVB/instrument unit. Achieved.
5. To attempt to impact the S‑IVB/instrument unit on the lunar surface within 350 kilometers (189 nautical miles) of latitude 3.65° south, longitude 7.58° west. Achieved.
6. To determine actual impact point within 5.0 kilometers (2.7 nautical miles) and time of impact within one second. Achieved.
7. To vent and dump the remaining gases and propellants to safe the S‑IVB/instrument unit. Achieved.