Russians Moon Rover Found - Science a GoGo's Discussion Forums

Over 40 years ago, the Russians landed their 'Lunokhod-1 on the surface of the Moon.
The first robotic machine ever, to land on another celestial body.

It travelled around for about 7 miles, sending back thousands of high definition pictures and soil sample info.
Then it got lost.

Now 40 years on NASA has found it.
Its picture looks like something out of Science Fiction.
NASA found that its retro-laser reflector is sending back a stronger signal than they believed possible.
The Russian rover is now redirecting signals from Earth and is being used again......40 years on.
Amazing SF picture and blurb.

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2000/

Mike, that link takes you to the year 2000 news. The link for 2010 is:

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/

Originally Posted By: Amaranth Rose II

Mike, that link takes you to the year 2000 news. The link for 2010 is:

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/

Originally Posted By: Mike Kremer

Thank you for the correction Amaranth. Just dont know how that happened
Thanks.
Finally.....this pic shows the 'Russian Rover'

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/03jun_oldrover/

They also found Lunokhod 2, and have it in a high-res viewer, which allows you to zoom in and see the rover and its tracks.

Pretty cool stuff!

http://wms.lroc.asu.edu/lroc_browse/view/M109039075LE

Note: the image is pre-centered; just grab the zoom slider and zoom in to find the rover and its tracks.

Bryan

Originally Posted By: ImagingGeek

They also found Lunokhod 2, and have it in a high-res viewer, which allows you to zoom in and see the rover and its tracks.

Pretty cool stuff!

http://wms.lroc.asu.edu/lroc_browse/view/M109039075LE

Note: the image is pre-centered; just grab the zoom slider and zoom in to find the rover and its tracks.

Bryan

Originally Posted By: Mike Kremer

I thought it might be interesting to show the picture of
Lunokhod-1 the first Russian Moon Rover, that landed on the Moon over 40 years ago....it traveled over 10 km over the surface taking photographs along the way.
The amazing thing is that the unmanned Lunokhod-1 traveled 10km in just ten months. For comparison, it took six years of operation for the unmanned Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity to travel about 12 km.

I assume it was the very much smaller wheels on Mars Rover Opportunity, that kept its speed down for practical reasons.

http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/news/index.php?/archives/198-Soviet-Union-Lunar-Rovers.html

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/03jun_oldrover/