The "Tracks" - again - of Lunokhod-1

Luna 17 was launched from an Earth parking orbit towards the Moon and entered lunar orbit on November 15, 1970. The spacecraft soft landed on the Moon in the Sea of Rains. The spacecraft had dual ramps by which the payload, Lunokhod-1, descended to the Lunar Surface. Lunokhod-1 was a lunar vehicle formed of a tub-like compartment with a large convex lid on eight independently powered wheels. Lunokhod-1 was equipped with a cone-shaped antenna, a highly directional helical antenna, 4 tv cameras and special extendable device to impact the lunar soil for soil density and mechanical property tests. An X-Ray spectrometer, an X-Ray telescope, cosmic-ray detectors and a laser device were also included. The vehicle was powered by a solar cell array mounted on the underside of the lid. Lunokhod-1 was intended to operate through 3 Lunar Days but actually operated for 11! The operations of Lunokhod-1 officially ceased on October, 4, 1971, the anniversary of Sputnik 1. Lunokhod1- traveled 10,54 Km and transmitted more than 20,000 TV pictures and more than 200 TV panoramas. It had also conducted more than 500 lunar soil tests.