Lunokhod series Soviet Moon exploration robot vehicle

A panorama shot from Lunokhod 1

A photo from Lunokhod 1 showing the Luna 17 lander

The tracks of Lunokhod showing the "little wheel" in the center that was used for odometry.

Lunokhod 1 (Луноход, moon walker in Russian) was the first of two unmanned lunar rovers landed on the Moon by the Soviet Union as part of its Lunokhod program. The spacecraft which carried Lunokhod 1 was named Luna 17. Lunokhod was the first roving remote-controlled robot to land on another world. Image File history File links Lunokhod_1. ... Image File history File links Lunokhod_1. ... Download high resolution version (1191x281, 175 KB)Lunokhod 1 panorama ((GNU)) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Download high resolution version (1191x281, 175 KB)Lunokhod 1 panorama ((GNU)) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Lunokhod 1 photo of Luna 17 lander ((GNU)) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Lunokhod 1 photo of Luna 17 lander ((GNU)) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Download high resolution version (1000x638, 161 KB)Lunokhod 1 photo of its tracks ((GNU)) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Download high resolution version (1000x638, 161 KB)Lunokhod 1 photo of its tracks ((GNU)) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Odometry is the study of position estimation during wheeled vehicle navigation. ... Lunar Rover-Manned land vehicle (NASA) The Lunar Roving Vehicle or Lunar rover or LRV is a land vehicle for use on the Moon. ... Bulk silicate composition (estimated wt%) SiO2 44. ... Lunokhod (Russian for Moon walker) 1 and 2 were a pair of unmanned lunar rovers landed on the Moon by the Soviet Union. ... Luna 17 was an unmanned space mission of the Luna program, also called Lunik 17. ...

Rover description

Lunokhod 1 was a lunar vehicle formed of a tub-like compartment with a large convex lid on eight independently powered wheels. Its length was 2.3 metres. Lunokhod was equipped with a cone-shaped antenna, a highly directional helical antenna, four television cameras, and special extendable devices to impact the lunar soil for soil density and mechanical property tests. An X-ray spectrometer, an X-ray telescope, cosmic ray detectors, and a laser device were also included. The vehicle was powered by batteries which were recharged during the lunar day by a solar cell array mounted on the underside of the lid. During the lunar nights, the lid was closed and a Polonium-210 heat source kept the internal components at operating temperature. Lunokhod was intended to operate through three lunar days (approximately 3 Earth months) but actually operated for eleven lunar days. A yagi antenna Most simply, an antenna is an electronic component designed to send or receive radio waves. ... A helical antenna is an antenna consisting of a conducting wire wound in the form of a helix. ... A professional video camera (often called a television camera even though the use has spread) is a high-end device for recording electronic moving images (as opposed to a movie camera, that records the images on film). ... Lunar soil is defined as that found on the surface of the Moon. ... X-ray spectroscopy is a gathering name for several spectroscopic techniques for determining the electronic structure of materials by using x-ray excitation. ... ROSAT image of X-ray fluorescence of, and occultation of the X-ray background by, the Moon. ... Cosmic rays can loosely be defined as energetic particles originating outside of the Earth. ... // Experiment using a (likely argon) laser. ... A solar cell, made from a monocrystalline silicon wafer A solar cell (or a photovoltaic cell) is a semiconductor device that converts photons from the sun (solar light) into electricity. ... General Name, Symbol, Number polonium, Po, 84 Chemical series metalloids Group, Period, Block 16, 6, p Appearance silvery Atomic mass (209) g/mol Electron configuration [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 6p4 Electrons per shell 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 6 Physical properties Phase solid Density (near r. ...

Launch and lunar orbit

Luna 17 was launched on November 10, 1970 at 14:44:01 UTC. After reaching earth parking orbit, the final stage of Luna 17's launching rocket fired to place it into a trajectory towards the Moon (1970-11-10 at 14:54 UTC). After two course correction manouvers (on November 12 and 14), it entered lunar orbit on November 15, 1970 at 22:00 UTC. Luna 17 was an unmanned space mission of the Luna program, also called Lunik 17. ... November 10 is the 314th day of the year (315th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 51 days remaining. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ...

Landing and surface operations

The spacecraft soft-landed on the Moon in the Sea of Rains on November 17 at 03:47 UTC. The lander had dual ramps from which the payload, Lunokhod 1, could descend to the lunar surface. At 06:28 UT the rover moved onto the moon's surface. Mare Imbrium Mare Imbrium, Latin for Sea of Showers or Sea of Rains, is a vast lunar mare filling a basin on Earths Moon. ... 17 November is also the name of a Marxist group in Greece, coinciding with the anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic uprising. ... The lunar surface (or the surface of the moon) differs greatly from that of the Earth. ...

The rover would run during the lunar day, stopping occasionally to recharge its batteries via the solar panels. At night the rover would hibernate until the next sunrise, heated by the radioactive source

• November 17, 1970 to November 22, 1970: The rover drives 197 metres, returns 14 close up pictures of the Moon and 12 panoramic views, during 10 communication sessions. It also conducts analyses of the lunar soil.

• December 9, 1970 to December 22, 1970: The rover drives 1522 metres

• January 8, 1971 to January 20, 1971: The rover drives 1936 metres

• February 8, 1971 to February 19, 1971: The rover drives 1573 metres

• March 9, 1971 to March 20, 1971: The rover drives more 2004 metres

• April 8, 1971 to April 20, 1971: The rover drives more 1029 metres

• May 7, 1971 to May 20, 1971: The rover drives more 197 metres

• June 5, 1971 to June 18, 1971: The rover drives more 1559 metres

• July 4, 1971 to July 17, 1971: The rover drives more 220 metres

• August 3, 1971 to August 16, 1971: The rover drives more 215 metres

• August 31, 1971 to September 14, 1971: The rover drives more 88 metres

17 November is also the name of a Marxist group in Greece, coinciding with the anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic uprising. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... November 22 is the 326th day (327th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... December 9 is the 343rd day (344th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... December 22 is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... January 8 is the 8th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... January 20 is the 20th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... February 8 is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... February 19 is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (69th in Leap years). ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... March 20 is the 79th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (80th in Leap years). ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... April 8 is the 98th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (99th in leap years). ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... April 20 is the 110th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (111th in leap years). ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... May 7 is the 127th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (128th in leap years). ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... June 5 is the 156th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (157th in leap years), with 209 days remaining. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... June 18 is the 169th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (170th in leap years), with 196 days remaining. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... For the United States holiday, the Fourth of July, see Independence Day (United States). ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... July 17 is the 198th day (199th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 167 days remaining. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... August 3 is the 215th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (216th in leap years), with 150 days remaining. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... August 16 is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... August 31 is the 243rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (244th in leap years), with 122 days remaining. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... September 14 is the 257th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (258th in leap years). ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ...

End of Mission

Controllers finished the last communications session with Lunokhod 1 at 13:05 UT on September 14, 1971. Attempts to reestablish contact were finally discontinued and the operations of Lunokhod 1 officially ceased on October 4, 1971, the anniversary of Sputnik 1. September 14 is the 257th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (258th in leap years). ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... October 4 is the 277th day of the year (278th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... Sputnik 1 (Russian: , Satellite 1) was the first artificial satellite to be put into orbit, on October 4, 1957. ...

Current location

The final location of Lunokhod 1 is uncertain by a few kilometers since lunar laser ranging experiments have failed to detect a return signal from it since the 1970s. [1]. Notwithstanding, Lunokhod 1 and the Luna 17 lander were sold by auction for $68500 in 1993 at Sotheby's in New York. The auction catalog listing described the spacecraft as "resting on the surface of the moon". [2] The Lunar Laser Ranging Experiment from the Apollo 11 mission The ongoing Lunar Laser Ranging Experiment was first made possible by a lunar laser ranging retroreflector array planted on the Moon on July 21, 1969, by the crew of the Apollo 11. ...

Results

During its 322 Earth days of operations, Lunokhod traveled 10540 metres and returned more than 20000 TV images and 206 high-resolution panoramas. In addition, Lunokhod 1 performed twenty-five soil analyses with its RIFMA x-ray fluorescence spectrometer and used its penetrometer at 500 different locations.

See also

• Luna 17
• Lunokhod 2

Luna 17 was an unmanned space mission of the Luna program, also called Lunik 17. ... Lunokhod series Soviet Moon exploration robot vehicle Lunokhod 2 was the second of two unmanned lunar rovers landed on the Moon by the Soviet Union as part of the Lunokhod program. ...

External links

• NSSDC Master Catalog: Spacecraft: Luna 17/Lunokhod 1
• Other Soviet lunar missions
• Ted Stryk's page on Lunokhod 1
• Don P. Mitchell's catalog of Soviet moon images including Lunokhod 1