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LOCATIONMare Imbrium
LAT38.32°
LON-34.97°
DISTANCE TRAVELED10.54 km
DAYS ACTIVE322
10.54
KM TRAVELED
TOTAL DISTANCE
6.55 mi
322
DAYS
SURFACE OPERATIONS
20,000
PHOTOS
IMAGES CAPTURED
756
KG
ROVER MASS
1,667 lbs
2 km/h
TOP SPEED
MAXIMUM VELOCITY
Lunokhod 1 is a moon rover by Soviet Space Program. Landed November 17, 1970. Operating at Mare Imbrium. Has traveled 10.54 km.
ABOUT LUNOKHOD 1
Lunokhod 1 was the first rover to successfully operate on another world. Delivered to the Moon by the Luna 17 spacecraft on November 17, 1970, this eight-wheeled solar-powered rover was remotely controlled by a five-person team on Earth. Over its 11 lunar days of operation, it traveled 10.54 km across the Mare Imbrium, returning over 20,000 television images and 206 panoramas while conducting soil analyses and laser ranging experiments.
KEY DISCOVERIES
- First soil mechanics measurements on the Moon
- Analyzed lunar regolith composition at multiple sites
- Demonstrated long-term rover operations on the Moon
- Provided over 20,000 TV images and 206 panoramas
TECHNOLOGY & FIRSTS
- First rover to operate on another world
- First remote-controlled robot on another celestial body
- Operated for 11 lunar days (322 Earth days)
- Laser retroreflector still used for Earth-Moon distance measurements
SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS (8)
Television cameras (2 low-res, 2 high-res)
X-ray fluorescence spectrometer
X-ray telescope
Cosmic ray detector
Soil mechanics tester (penetrometer)
Laser retroreflector (French-built)
Radiation detector
Odometer
SPACECRAFT SPECIFICATIONS
Wheels8
Mass756 kg (1,667 lbs)
Dimensions2.3m long, 1.5m wide, 1.35m tall
Top Speed2 km/h
PowerSolar panels + polonium-210 heater (180W)
CommunicationsLow-gain antenna, omnidirectional, direct to Earth
Design Life3 lunar days (3 months)
Landing DateNovember 17, 1970
Mission EndOctober 4, 1971
ProgramLuna