Apollo 15 launch, July 1971. Lift-off for the Apollo 15 spacecraft, mounted on its launch rocket as it takes off from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA. The launch took place at 09:34 local time on 26 July 1971. On board were NASA astronauts David R. Scott (commander), Alfred M. Worden (command module pilot), and James B. Irwin (lunar module pilot). They successfully entered orbit around the Moon a few days later. Scott and Irwin descended to the lunar surface, while Worden remained in orbit. The astronauts returned to Earth on 7 August 1971.