A NEW MOON ROVER

Write About Sun, Moon, and Stars

A New

Moon
Rover

A Nonfiction Narrative
by Susan Halko

A New

Moon
Rover

A Nonfiction Narrative
by Susan Halko

The National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) trains astronauts
to explore the universe. NASA has sent
astronauts to the moon six times. The
last trip was in 1972.

2

NASA plans to send astronauts
back to the moon by 2020.
NASA wants astronauts to
explore more of the moon.

3

In 1972, astronauts used a rover
to explore.

moon rover

4

The astronauts wore space suits
on the rover. Space suits are big
and clumsy. Space suits made it
hard to explore.

5

By 2020, astronauts will want to
explore even more. But they will
not want to wear space suits all
the time.

6

So NASA is making a new moon
rover. They call it the Lunar Electric
Rover, or LER.

Lunar Electric Rover (LER)

7

The LER has big windows. Astronauts
will be able to get a close look at the
moon from inside the rover.

8

Since the new rover is covered,
astronauts will not need to wear
space suits inside.

9

The space suits stay outside on the
back of the rover. The LER has a
small door that leads to the suits.

10

Astronauts can climb through the
door and slip right into their suits.
Then they can walk on the moon
and explore more.

11

Astronauts have tested the LER. They
drove it in a desert in Arizona. The desert
has dry dirt and rocks. It even has a crater!

crater

12

The moon has dry dirt and rocks,
too. It also has craters.

crater

13

In the desert, the LER rode over bumps
and rocks. Then the LER got a flat tire!

14

People from NASA fixed it. The LER
will have different tires when it goes
to the moon.

15

NASA is still working on the LER.
They are getting it
ready for the trip
by 2020. On that trip,
the astronauts will
explore more of the moon.

16

Acknowledgments Author’s
Grateful acknowledgment is given to the authors, artists, photographers, museums, publishers, Note
and agents for permission to reprint copyrighted material. Every effort has been made to secure
the appropriate permission. If any omissions have been made or if corrections are required, “Part space suit, part sports
please contact the Publisher. car.” This is how one scientist
described the LER. When I
Photographic Credits read that, I knew I wanted
Cover (bg) Stockbyte/Getty Images, (inset) Regan Geeseman/NASA - Johnson Space Center; to find out more!
Title (bg) NASA - Johnson Space Center (NASA-JSC)/NASA Image Exchange; 2-3 (bg) Bruce
Heinemann/Photodisc/Alamy Images; 2 (t inset) David R. Scott/NASA - Johnson Space Center, So I researched the new
(b inset) NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (NASA-MSFC)/NASA Image Exchange; 3 (inset) James rover on the Internet. I
Blair/NASA/Handout/Corbis; 4-5 (bg) Harrison H. Schmitt/NASA - Johnson Space Center; 4 (inset) found lots of interesting
NASA Headquarters - Greatest Images of NASA (NASA-HQ-GRIN); 5 (inset) NASA; 6-7 (bg) information. I learned that
NASA - Johnson Space Center; 7 (inset) Regan Geeseman/NASA - Johnson Space Center; 8-9 (bg) the new rover has beds,
Brian Adducci/iStockphoto; 8 (inset) Regan Geeseman/NASA - Johnson Space Center; 9 (inset) a shower, and even a
Robert Markowitz/NASA - Johnson Space Center; 10 NASA - Johnson Space Center; 11 (t) Regan bathroom!
Geeseman/NASA - Johnson Space Center, (c, b) Robert Markowitz/NASA - Johnson Space Center;
12 (t) Oleksandr Buzko/iStockphoto, (b) PhotoDisc/Getty Images; 13 (bg) NASA, (inset) NASA I found pictures, too. When
Marshall Space Flight Center (NASA-MSFC)/NASA Image Exchange; 14-15 (bg) Brian Adducci/ I first saw a picture of the
iStockphoto; 15 (inset) NASA - Johnson Space Center; 16 Emilio Ereza/Alamy Images. LER, I was surprised. It
looked so much different
Neither the Publisher nor the authors shall be liable for any damage that may be caused or than the old rovers.
sustained or result from conducting any of the activities in this publication without specifically
following instructions, undertaking the activities without proper supervision, or failing to comply I wanted to tell the story of
with the cautions contained herein. the LER. Why did astronauts
want to build it? How was it
Published by National Geographic School Publishing & Hampton-Brown going to be better than the
Sheron Long, Chairman old rovers?
Samuel Gesumaria, Vice-Chairman
Alison Wagner, President and CEO I am excited that astronauts
Susan Schaffrath, Executive Vice President, Product Development are working on a new rover.
Someday, you may write
Editorial: Fawn Bailey, Joseph Baron, Carl Benoit, Jennifer Cocson, Francis Downey, Richard a story about even newer
Easby, Mary Clare Goller, Chris Jaeggi, Carol Kotlarczyk, Kathleen Lally, Henry Layne, Allison Lim, ways to travel on the moon!
Taunya Nesin, Paul Osborn, Chris Siegel, Sara Turner, Lara Winegar, Barbara Wood
— Susan Halko
Art, Design, and Production: Andrea Cockrum, Kim Cockrum, Adriana Cordero, Darius Detwiler,
Alicia DiPiero, David Dumo, Jean Elam, Jeri Gibson, Shanin Glenn, Raymond Godfrey, Raymond
Hoffmeyer, Rick Holcomb, Cynthia Lee, Anna Matras, Gordon McAlpin, Melina Meltzer, Rick
Morrison, Cindy Olson, Christiana Overman, Andrea Pastrano-Tamez, Sean Philpotts, Leonard
Pierce, Cathy Revers, Stephanie Rice, Christopher Roy, Janet Sandbach, Susan Scheuer, Margaret
Sidlosky, Jonni Stains, Shane Tackett, Andrea Thompson, Andrea Troxel, Ana Vela, Teri Wilson,
Brown Publishing Network, Chaos Factory, Inc., Feldman and Associates, Inc.

The National Geographic Society
John M. Fahey, Jr., President & Chief Executive Officer
Gilbert M. Grosvenor, Chairman of the Board

Manufacturing and Quality Management,
The National Geographic Society
Christoper A. Liedel, Chief Financial Officer
George Bounelis, Vice President

Copyright © 2010 The Hampton-Brown Company, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the National
Geographic Society, publishing under the imprints National Geographic School Publishing and
Hampton-Brown.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by
any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information
storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Publisher.

National Geographic and the Yellow Border are registered trademarks of the National
Geographic Society.

National Geographic School Publishing
Hampton-Brown
P.O. Box 223220
Carmel, California 93922
www.NGSP.com

Printed in the USA.

ISBN 978-0-7362-5584-4

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Writing Nonfiction Narrative