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Credit & Copyright: Courtesy
Lavochkin Association
Explanation:
On November 17, 1970 the Soviet
Luna 17
spacecraft landed the first
roving remote-controlled robot
on the Moon.
Known as Lunokhod 1, it
weighed just under 2,000 pounds and was
designed to operate for 90 days while
guided in real-time by a five person team
at the Deep Space Center near Moscow, USSR, Planet Earth.
The futuristic looking eight wheeler rode on top of a descent module
which extended
ramps from both sides
offering alternative routes to
the surface in case one side was blocked by boulders.
Lunokhod 1 actually toured the lunar
Mare Imbrium (Sea of Rains) for 11 months in
one of the greatest successes of the
Soviet
lunar exploration program.
This Lunokhod's operations officially ceased on October 4, 1971,
14 years after
the launch of Sputnik.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: spacecraft - Moon
Publications with words: spacecraft - Moon
See also: