45 years ago, a Soviet self-propelled vehicle began to travel around our natural satellite at an unprecedented speed.
Roskosmos has declassified documents about Lunokhod-2, which was delivered to the moon 45 years ago and worked on the satellite's surface for 4 Earth months.
How it was
Lunokhod-2 was delivered to the moon by the Soviet automatic station Luna-21, created at the NPO. S. A. Lavochkin. Launched from Earth on January 8, 1973, she made a soft landing on our natural satellite on January 16, 1973 at half past one in the morning Moscow time on the eastern shore of the Sea of Clarity in Lemonnier Crater. At the beginning of the fifth morning (4 hours 14 minutes) Lunokhod-2, which weighed more than 800 kilograms, slid to the lunar surface. And he went on a long and dusty journey lasting 4 months - 5 lunar days (until May 10, 1973). In total, the device traveled a record 42 kilometers, transmitting images and television images to Earth.
Lunokhod-2 model in NGO them. Lavochkin: the device was impressive in size, weighed almost like a Zhiguli.
What was posted on the Internet
Promotional video:
The Russian Space Systems Corporation celebrated the anniversary of the landing of the 8-wheeled vehicle by publishing a report that the specialists of the then Research Institute of Instrument Engineering drew up about a year after Lunokhod-2 stopped communicating. In the report, they analyzed the problems that arose in order to avoid them when creating new devices for the study of the Moon and other planets. But alas, domestic lunar rovers and rovers never left the Earth.
A snapshot of the Luna-21 station, taken on the moon by Lunokhod-2, which moved to the surface.
However, the curious may be interested in learning the details of Lunokhod-2 control, to understand the intricacies of the unique Seim communication system, with the help of which we were the first in the world to transmit information towards the Moon via an optical laser channel.
The title page of the unclassified report.
It's no secret that Lunokhod-2's navigation system immediately went out of order - the “crew” had to navigate by the Sun and, as they say, looking around. And the position of the body was determined by the load on the wheels.
Once the device nearly fell off a cliff when it stopped only after the third command from Earth. Such "overlays" most likely destroyed the "Lunokhod-1". He overheated and stopped communicating.
In a declassified report, experts said that the temperature inside Lunokhod-2 had risen to 47 degrees, but they did not explain why this happened. It is believed that, while maneuvering, the apparatus scooped up the soil with a lid, got stuck trying to get out, and "overextended itself."
Strange though. The same report says that the equipment that was installed on the lunar rover during the tests was heated much more. And she continued to work.
Lunokhod-2 became the fastest of the Soviet lunar rovers. It could accelerate to 340 meters per hour. The predecessor, Lunokhod-1, moved at a speed of 140 meters per hour.
AT THIS TIME
Soviet lunar rovers are visible on the moon
In 2010, enthusiasts spotted Lunokhod-2 on the Moon. Found it in images taken by the automatic Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) probe using the LROC camera. They also show the Luna-21 station and the lunar rover itself and the traces it left.
& quot; Lunokhod-2 & quot; in the picture from the orbit of the moon.
Lunokhod-2 landed about 150 kilometers from the American Apollo 17. And according to one of the legends, he drove to the site where in 1972 the Americans operated and drove their self-propelled carriage. It seems that Lunokhod-2 was supposed to transmit to Earth an image of the equipment left by the astronauts. And to confirm that they really were there.
Lunokhod-2 could easily have reached Apollo 17 if it hadn't broken down.
& quot; Lunokhod-2 & quot; larger.
Traces of Lunokhod-2.
The path traversed by Lunokhod-2 for 5 lunar days.
The location of the "Lunokhod-1", which was considered missing for a long time, is also known now. Nothing was known about his fate for almost 40 years. The Soviet apparatus was found by researchers from the University of California, San Diego under the guidance of physics professor Tom Murphy using the same LRO probe. And having found, put an end to various mystical speculations. Like, "Lunokhod-1" was kidnapped by aliens who have a base on the Moon.
By the way, very few people know, but Lunokhod-2 is not ours now. In December 1993, the NGO named after S. A. Lavochkina sold the Luna-21 station on the Moon and the accompanying Lunokhod-2 at Sotheby's in New York for $ 68,500. This year there will also be an anniversary - 25 years of this event.
VLADIMIR LAGOVSKY