Lunokhod 1
Lunokhod 1 (Russian Луноход, moon goers ') was a Soviet Moon Rover, Rover and the first ever to exploring a foreign celestial body.
Lunokhod was controlled by a five-member team from Earth ( commander, driver, operating engineer, navigator, radio operator ). To facilitate the maneuver, the Lunochods were equipped with a centrifugal system, a floor sensor and an inclinometer. When successor Lunokhod 2 was a third front camera added to improve maneuverability.
Mission History
Luna 17 was launched from a park orbit around the Earth to the Moon, the lunar orbit reached on 15 November 1970 and landed on 17 November 1970 at the Mare Imbrium. After the eight-wheel unmanned moon rover Lunokhod 1, the left landing unit via a ramp and began to explore the area. The rover worked over eleven months ( were scheduled three months ), until the official end of the mission on October 4, 1971. This was the 14th anniversary of the launch of Sputnik 1 During this time, the rover lay back 10,540 m, transferred more than 20,000 images, about 200 panoramas and examined over 500 soil samples. The batteries loaded on the vehicle via solar cells, which were integrated in the hinged cover. The probe failed because the heat output of polonium sources (which the heating of the instruments in the cold moonlight served ) was after nearly three half-lives fell to seventh and Lunokhod froze.
Equipment
Lunokhod was remotely controlled from Earth. Go to navigation were broadcasting television cameras Photos from the area. At regular intervals, high resolution panoramas of the environment were obtained. The lunar soil was studied by penetrometers and X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. Scientific equipment included a camera system consisting of two low - and four high definition television cameras, an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, a penetrometer, a radiation detector for protons, alpha- and X-rays, a distance and speedometer, as well as built in France reflectors on the lid, which the measuring the earth-Moon distance allowed ( lunar laser Ranging ). The central part was filled with nitrogen container in which there was the technical equipment. Energy supplied the solar cells in the cover. Before cooling down during the moon protect a radionuclide heating element, a small amount of polonium -210, which decays with a half -life of 138 days, releasing heat.
Whereabouts of the moon mobile home
The last position of the rover within an environment of a few kilometers for years was unknown because since the 1970s no more laser distance measurement yielded a result. Nevertheless, Lunokhod 1 and its landing platform Luna 17 were auctioned by Sotheby's in New York City in 1993 for 68,500 U.S. dollars. The auction catalog describes the moon as mobile " on the lunar surface located " ( "resting on the surface of the moon" ).
In March 2010, Luna 17 and Lunokhod 1 was finally discovered on recordings of the probe Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. This was also a calculation of the park position possible: 38.2473 ° N, 34.998 ° WMoon38.2473 - 34 998 for Luna 17 and 38.3251 ° N, 35.0051 ° WMoon38.32507 - 35.0051 for Lunokhod 1
Based on these new findings, it was found that previous estimates had located several kilometers next to the actual position. For this reason, attempts to target the laser reflector on Lunokhod 1, unsuccessful since the seventies. After recalculation of the parking position of the reflector could be used again. On April 22, 2010 Laser measurements were successfully carried out by the Apache Point Observatory.