 Model of a Soviet Lunokhod program rover | |
| Mission type | Lunar rover |
|---|---|
| COSPAR ID | 1970-095A |
| Website | Lunar and Planetary Department Moscow UniversityLunokhod 1 page |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Launch mass | 5,600 kilograms (12,300 lb) |
| Dry mass | 756 kilograms (1,667 lb) (rover only) |
| Power | 180 watts |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | November 10, 1970 (1970-11-10) |
| Rocket | Proton-K/D |
| Launch site | Baikonur81/23 |
| End of mission | |
| Last contact | September 14, 1971 (1971-09-15) |
| Lunar rover | |
| Spacecraft component | Rover |
| Landing date | November 17, 1970, 03:47:00 UTC |
| Landing site | 38°14′16″N35°00′06″W / 38.2378°N 35.0017°W /38.2378; -35.0017 |
Lunokhod 1 (Russian: Луноход-1, 'Moonwalker 1'), also known asDevice 8EL No. 203 (Аппарат 8ЕЛ № 203,Apparat 8EL No. 203) was the firstrobotic roveron the Moon and the first to freely move across the surface of anastronomical object beyond the Earth.[1] Sent by theSoviet Union it was part of the robotic roversLunokhod program. TheLuna 17spacecraft carriedLunokhod 1 to the Moon in 1970.Lunokhod 0 (No.201), the previous and first attempt to land a rover, launched in February 1969 but failed to reach Earth orbit.
Although only designed for a lifetime of three lunar days (approximately three Earth months),Lunokhod 1 operated on the lunar surface for eleven lunar days (321 Earth days) and traversed a total distance of 10.54 km.[2]
Lunokhod 1 was a lunar vehicle formed of a tub-like compartment with a large convex lid on eight independently powered wheels. The rover stood 135 centimetres (4 feet 5 inches) high and had a mass of 840 kg (1,850 lb). It was about 170 centimetres (5 feet 7 inches) long and 160 centimetres (5 feet 3 inches) wide.
Lunokhod 1 was equipped with a cone-shapedantenna, a highly directionalhelical antenna, fourtelevision cameras, and special extendable devices to test thelunar soil for soil density and mechanical properties.
AnX-ray spectrometer, anX-ray telescope,cosmic ray detectors, and a laser retro-reflector (supplied by France[3]) were also included.
The vehicle was powered by batteries which were recharged during thelunar day by asolar cell array mounted on the underside of the lid. To be able to work in a vacuum, special fluoride-based lubricant was used for the mechanical parts, and the electric motors (one in each wheel hub) were enclosed in pressurized containers.[4][5]
During the lunar nights, the lid was closed, and apolonium-210radioisotope heater unit kept the internal components atoperating temperature.
Lunokhod 1 was intended to operate through three lunar days (approximately three Earth months), but actually operated for eleven lunar days.
Luna 17 was launched on November 10, 1970, at 14:44:01 UTC. After reaching earthparking orbit, the final stage ofLuna 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 maneuvers (on November 12 and 14), it enteredlunar orbit on November 15, 1970, at 22:00 UTC.
The spacecraftsoft-landed on the Moon in theMare Imbrium (Sea of Rains) on November 17 at 03:47 UTC. It landed in western Mare Imbrium, about 60 km south of thePromontorium Heraclides. The lander had dual ramps from which the payload,Lunokhod 1, could descend to thelunar surface.
At 06:28 UTC the rover moved onto the Moon's surface. The rover would run during the lunar day, stopping occasionally to recharge its batteries via the solar panels. At night the rover hibernated until the next sunrise, heated by the radioactive source.
Small craters along its traverse were named unofficially during the mission. The names were officially approved by the IAU in 2012.[6] They are calledAlbert,Leonid,Kolya,Valera,Borya,Gena,Vitya,Kostya,Igor,Slava,Nikolya, andVasya.
Operations during 1970:
Operations during 1971:
The final location ofLunokhod 1 was uncertain until 2010, aslunar laser ranging experiments had failed to detect a return signal from it since 1971. On March 17, 2010, Albert Abdrakhimov found both the lander and the rover[7] inLunar Reconnaissance Orbiter image M114185541RC (Line 21977, Sample 3189).[8] In April 2010, theApache Point Observatory Lunar Laser-ranging Operation (APOLLO) team from theUniversity of California at San Diego used the LRO images to locate the rover closely enough for laser range (distance) measurements. On April 22, 2010, and days following, the team successfully measured the distance several times. The intersection of the spheres described by the measured distances then pinpoint the current location of Lunokhod 1 to within 1 meter.[9][10] APOLLO is now usingLunokhod 1's reflector for experiments, as they discovered, to their surprise, that it was returning much more light than other reflectors on the Moon. According to a NASA press release, APOLLO researcherTom Murphy said, "We got about 2,000 photons from Lunokhod 1 on our first try. After almost 40 years of silence, this rover still has a lot to say."[11]
By November 2010, the location of the rover had been determined to within about a centimeter. The location near thelimb of the Moon, combined with the ability to range the rover even when it is in sunlight, promises to be particularly useful for determining aspects of the Earth–Moon system.[12]
In a report released in May 2013, French scientists at theCôte d'Azur Observatory led by Jean-Marie Torre reported replicating the 2010laser ranging experiments by American scientists after research using images from theNASALunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. In both cases, laser pulses were returned from theLunokhod 1retroreflector.[13]
Controllers finished the last communications session withLunokhod 1 at 13:05 UT on September 14, 1971. Attempts to re-establish contact were finally discontinued and the operations ofLunokhod 1 officially ceased on October 4, 1971, the anniversary ofSputnik 1. During its 322 Earth days of operations,Lunokhod 1 travelled 10,540 metres (6.55 miles) and returned more than 20,000 TV images and 206 high-resolution panoramas. In addition, it performed 25lunar soil analyses with its RIFMAx-ray fluorescence spectrometer and used itspenetrometer at 500 different locations.
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