Krisha Jane L.

Abanid
BSA 1-1
The Space Junkman’s Moon Buggy (Lunar Rover)
One of the Greatest Invention in the Philippines

The Philippines rank in terms of innovation was unchanged from a year ago,
despite high scores in business environment, education and information and
communications technology (ICT). According to an annual report of Cornell University,
INSEAD and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The country ranked
73rd in the 2018 Global Innovation Index (GII) out of 126 economies, steady from a year
ago (Business World, 2018). But despite all of these ranks, the Philippines still able to
produce world-renowned innovation like Moon Buggy (Lunar Rover). Mechanical
Eduardo San Juan is considered the primary designer of the Lunar Rover. He was also
the designer of the Articulated Wheel System. He graduated from Mapua Institute of
Technology and then studied nuclear engineering at the University of Washington.

The Moon Buggy weighed 460 pounds and was designed to hold a payload of
1,080 pounds. The frame was 10 feet long with a wheelbase of 7.5 feet. The vehicle
was 3.6 feet tall. The frame was made of aluminum alloy tubing welded assemblies and
consisted of a three-part chassis that was hinged in the center so it could be folded up
and hung in the Lunar Module Quadrant 1 bay. It had two side-by-side foldable seats
made of tubular aluminum with nylon webbing and aluminum floor panels. An armrest
was mounted between the seats, and each seat had adjustable footrests and a Velcro-
fastened seat belt. A large mesh dish antenna was mounted on a mast on the front
center of the rover. The suspension consisted of a double horizontal wishbone with
upper and lower torsion bars and a damper unit between the chassis and upper
wishbone. The Lunar Rover was then transported to the moon on the Apollo Lunar
Module (LM) and once unpacked on the surface, could carry one or two astronauts,
their equipment, and lunar samples. (Bellis,2019).
Reference
Bellis, Mary. (2019, June 22). Who Is Eduardo San Juan, Designer of the Lunar
Rover? Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/eduardo-san-juan-and-moon-buggy-
1991716
Business World. (2018, July 12). Philippines ‘Below average’ in regional
innovation ranking Retrieved from https://www.bworldonline.com/philippines-below-
average-in-regional-innovation-ranking/