Editing Apollo 15 (section)

== Planning and training ==
Schmitt and other scientist-astronauts advocated for a greater place for science on the early Apollo missions. They were often met with disinterest from other astronauts, or found science displaced by higher priorities. Schmitt realized that what was needed was an expert teacher who could fire the astronauts' enthusiasm, and contacted [[Caltech]] geologist [[Leon Silver|Lee Silver]], whom Schmitt introduced to [[Apollo 13]]'s commander, [[Jim Lovell]], and to its Lunar Module pilot, [[Fred Haise]], then in training for their mission. Lovell and Haise were willing to go on a field expedition with Silver, and geology became a significant part of their training. Geologist [[Farouk El-Baz]] trained the prime crew's command module pilot, [[Ken Mattingly]] to inform his planned observations from lunar orbit. The crew's newly acquired skills mostly went unused, due to the explosion that damaged the Apollo 13 spacecraft, and caused an abort of the mission.{{efn|Mattingly was replaced before launch by [[Jack Swigert]].}} Apollo 14's CMP, [[Stuart Roosa]], was enthusiastic about geology, but the mission commander, Shepard, less so.{{sfn|Chaikin|pp=387–396}}

[[File:Apollo 15 Lunar Rover training.ogg|thumb|left|alt=Film taken from lunar rover trainer|Scott and Irwin train to use the rover]]
Already familiar with the spacecraft as the backup crew for Apollo 12, Scott, Worden and Irwin could devote more of their training time as prime crew for Apollo 15 to geology and sampling techniques.<ref group=ALSJ name=sampling>{{cite web |url=https://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a12/a12.head_bench.html |title=Sampling at Head Crater and Bench Crater |year=1995 |editor-last=Jones |editor-first=Eric M. |work=Apollo 12 Lunar Surface Journal |publisher=NASA |access-date=September 4, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211121513/http://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a12/a12.head_bench.html |archive-date=February 11, 2017 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Scott was determined that his crew bring back the maximum amount of scientific data possible, and met with Silver in April 1970 to begin planning the geological training. Schmitt's assignment as Apollo 15's backup LMP made him an insider, and allowed him to spark competition between the prime and backup crews. The cancellation of two Apollo missions in September 1970 transformed Apollo 15 into a J mission, with a longer stay on the lunar surface, and the first [[Lunar Roving Vehicle]] (LRV). This change was welcomed by Scott,{{sfn|Chaikin|pp=397–402}} who according to David West Reynolds in his account of the Apollo program, was "something more than a hotshot pilot. Scott had the spirit of a true explorer", one determined to get the most from the J mission.{{sfn|Reynolds|p=171}} The additional need for communications, including from planned experiments and the rover, required the near-rebuilding of the [[Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station]] in Australia.{{sfn|Lindsay|p=303}}

[[File:Ap15-S70-56419.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=Man around age 40 with sunglasses and a large backpack takes a photograph with a camera mounted on his chest|Commander [[David Scott]] takes a photograph during geology training in Hawaii, December 1970]]
Geology field trips took place about once a month throughout the crew's 20 months of training. At first, Silver would take the commanders and LMPs from the prime and backup crews to geological sites in Arizona and [[New Mexico]] as if for a normal field geology lesson, but closer to launch, these trips became more realistic. Crews began to wear mock-ups of the backpacks they would carry while hiking near the [[Rio Grande Gorge]], and communicate using [[walkie-talkie]]s to a CAPCOM in a tent. The CAPCOM was accompanied by a geologist unfamiliar with the area who would rely on the astronauts' descriptions to interpret the findings, and familiarized the crew members with describing landscapes to people who could not see them.{{sfn|Scott & Leonov|pp=272–273}} Considering himself a serious amateur, Scott came to enjoy field geology.{{sfn|Compton|p=236}}

The decision to land at Hadley came in September 1970. The Site Selection Committee had narrowed the field down to two sites—Hadley Rille, a deep channel on the edge of [[Mare Imbrium]] close to the [[Montes Apenninus|Apennine mountains]] or the crater [[Marius (crater)|Marius]], near which were a [[Marius Hills|group of low, possibly volcanic, domes]]. Although not ultimately his decision, the commander of a mission always held great sway.{{sfn|Chaikin|pp=402–403}} To David Scott the choice was clear, as Hadley "had more variety. There is a certain intangible quality which drives the spirit of exploration and I felt that Hadley had it. Besides it looked beautiful and usually when things look good they are good."{{sfn|Scott & Leonov|pp=273–274}} The selection of Hadley was made although NASA lacked high resolution images of the landing site; none had been made as the site was considered too rough to risk one of the earlier Apollo missions.{{sfn|Reynolds|p=172}} The proximity of the Apennine mountains to the Hadley site required a landing approach trajectory of 26 degrees, far steeper than the 15 degrees in earlier Apollo landings.{{sfn|Harland|p=80}}

The expanded mission meant that Worden spent much of his time at [[Rockwell International|North American Rockwell]]'s facilities at [[Downey, California]], where the command and service module (CSM) was being built.{{sfn|Scott & Leonov|p=267}} He undertook a different kind of geology training. Working with El-Baz, he studied maps and photographs of the craters he would pass over while orbiting alone in the CSM. As El-Baz listened and gave feedback, Worden learned how to describe lunar features in a way that would be useful to the scientists who would listen to his transmissions back on Earth. Worden found El-Baz to be an enjoyable and inspiring teacher. Worden usually accompanied his crewmates on their geology field trips, though he was often in an airplane overhead, describing features of the landscape as the plane simulated the speed at which the lunar landscape would pass below the CSM.{{sfn|Worden|loc=2373–2408}}<!-- Chapter 7, "while Dave and Jim" to "I went on almost all" -->

The demands of the training strained both Worden's and Irwin's marriages; each sought Scott's advice, fearing a divorce might endanger their places on the mission as not projecting the image NASA wanted for the astronauts. Scott consulted Director of Flight Crew Operations [[Deke Slayton]], their boss, who stated what was important was that the astronauts do their jobs. Although the Irwins overcame their marital difficulties, the Wordens divorced before the mission.{{sfn|Scott & Leonov|pp=277–278}}