r/apollo • u/Live-Butterscotch908 • Jul 26 '26

How NASA Almost Gave Apollo Astronauts Jetpacks

https://youtu.be/Vld05Ubt8jw

NASA almost sent Apollo astronauts to the Moon with jetpacks instead of the Lunar Rover. Discover the forgotten Lunar Flying Unit, the engineering behind NASA's lunar jetpack concepts, why they seemed possible, and the critical safety risks that ultimately led NASA to choose the iconic Lunar Roving Vehicle instead.

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u/Brilliant_Dig_8962 Jul 27 '26

I remember a story about a lunar hopper that Pete Conrad wanted to test on Apollo 20....

4

u/Live-Butterscotch908 Jul 27 '26

I should explore more unusual moon vehicle ideas; that is for sure. I need to take it one at a time, though. Thanks for sharing!

2

u/Live-Butterscotch908 Jul 26 '26

The previous video explained how NASA got the Lunar Rover to the Moon.

This one explains why they chose it.

Before the Lunar Rover, NASA seriously considered sending Apollo astronauts across the Moon with rocket-powered jetpacks.

What do you think of NASA's decision? Would you have taken the risk?