Lunar Hand Tool Carrier

The museum exhibits an LRV lunar hand tool carrier. As its name implies, it was a tool rack which is designed to be carried behind the seats at the aft of the Lunar Roving Vehicle. The carrier could also be removed from the LRV, should the astronauts need the tools at a location farther away from the LRV.

The carrier was designed to attach to the LRV aft pallet assembly (which, itself, also held tools). One side of the carrier had two hinge halves (ears) which were inserted into corresponding clevises on the pallet assembly, where pip pins would automatically engage. The carrier was was secured by a latch keeper (ear) on top of the carrier's other side, again being inserted into a clevis on the pallet assembly and restrained by a pip pin.

When the astronauts needed to access tools on the carrier or the pallet assembly, they could lift a handle until the pin cleared the hand tool carrier's latch keeper ear and the carrier could be swung open.

An accompanying sign reads

Apollo Spacesuits and Tool Kit

Apollo spacesuits were very stiff, making it difficult for astronauts to bend over. They needed these special tools to explore the moon's surface.

The HAMMER is steel, coated with vacuum-deposited aluminum to minimize solar heating. The hammer can be attached to the TOOL EXTENSION and used as a hoe for trenching or digging. The TONGS help astronauts pick up small rocks and soil.

The tool kit also carried bags to store and transport samples of lunar rocks and soil.

Astronauts used these actual tools for practice on Earth before going to the moon.

I've found relatively little documentation regarding the hand tool carrier on individual missions. However, after reviewing EVA photos from Apollo 15, Apollo 16, and Apollo 17 and reading On the Moon with Apollo 17 and the Apollo 17 Lunar Roving Vehicle Payload Handbook, I believe that Apollo 17's LRV did not include a hand tool carrier, but rather had a redesigned aft pallet assembly.

See my page on the lunar hand tool carrier and aft pallet assembly.