Soviet Moon Rover Lunokhod 1 Found
A ROVER found on the moon last week has delivered joy to the Soviets who lost it 40 years ago and evidence to any that still needed it that man did indeed once land there.
The Soviet rover Lunokhod 1 was the first successful lunar rover, landing on the moon on November 17, 1970, a full 24 years before Sojourner was successfully rolled out on the surface of Mars.
Lunokhod 1 wheeled around for the better part of a year before its signal was lost.
Its main mission was to collect soil composition and topography data, but its discovery by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has given Lunokhod 1 a new lease on life.
A reflector onboard was added by the Russians so they could bounce a laser off the rover and take readings about the moon’s orbit to within a millimetre’s accuracy, according to National Geographic.
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