Assumptions, Apollo rover:
- The route was searched on the NASA LRO LOLA elevation model at 1.9 km resolution, the tier used for this route.
- It avoids slopes steeper than 25 degrees at that resolution only: every slope is a mean over 1.9 km samples, so a steeper stretch inside one sample is not seen.
- It does not account for craters, boulders, shadow, or anything smaller than 1.9 km across.
- Travel time only, not a mission duration: continuous travel with no stops, rest, recharging, communication passes or lighting constraints.
- Level-ground speed 8.29 km/h: total distance driven over total driving time on Apollo 15, 16 and 17 (27.8 km in 3 h 02 min, 26.7 km in 3 h 26 min, 35.9 km in 4 h 26 min).
- Speed interpolated between the handbook's smooth-mare capability at 0, 5 and 10 degrees, the Apollo 17 report's 4 to 5 km/h at 20 degrees, and zero at 25 degrees, scaled so the flat speed is the typical traverse speed. The same reduction is applied downhill (descents were driven in braking mode), which is an assumption.
- Segments steeper than 25 degrees are not timed: design slope; the steepest slopes actually reported were 18 degrees up and 20 degrees down (Apollo 17) and about 20 degrees (Apollo 16).