Lunokhod 1 facts for kids

A model of Lunokhod 1

Lunokhod 1 was a special robot vehicle, called a rover, built by the Soviet Union. It was part of the Lunokhod programme, which sent several robots to the Moon. Lunokhod 1 made history by being the very first remote-controlled vehicle to land on another planet, our Moon. It arrived on November 17, 1970. For almost a year, this amazing rover explored the Moon's surface, gathering important information about its soil and landscape.

Exploring the Moon

Lunokhod 1 was built to explore the Moon's surface. It could move at two speeds: 1 km/h (about walking speed) or 2 km/h. This allowed it to travel across the lunar landscape. The rover had four TV cameras. These cameras sent pictures back to Earth, showing scientists what the Moon looked like.

How Lunokhod 1 Worked

A team of five people on Earth controlled Lunokhod 1. They used the camera images to guide the rover. This was like playing a very important video game! The team had to be very careful. They had to make sure the rover avoided rocks and craters. Lunokhod 1 collected details about the Moon's soil. It also studied the landscape, helping us understand more about our closest neighbor in space.

Lost and Found

After nearly a year of exploring, Lunokhod 1 stopped working. It was lost on the Moon for almost 40 years. Then, in 2010, scientists found it again! They used photos taken by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. These pictures showed the space rocket that carried Lunokhod 1 to the Moon.

Finding the Rover's Path

Once the rocket was found, scientists could follow the tracks left by the rover. They tracked its path across the Moon's surface. Finally, they found Lunokhod 1! It was about 10 km away from where it first landed. This was an exciting discovery for space explorers.

Why Lunokhod 1 Still Matters

Even today, Lunokhod 1 is useful. It has a special reflector on it. Scientists can send laser beams from Earth to this reflector. The reflector bounces the laser beams back. This helps scientists make very exact measurements. These measurements are important for finding the exact center of the Moon. This helps us learn more about the Moon's shape and how it moves.

Images for kids

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  LRO image from 2010

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  Lunokhod 1 in the Museum of Cosmonautics (Moscow)

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  Part of the Lunokhod 1 control panel. Museum of Space and Missile Technology (Saint Petersburg)

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  Part of the Lunokhod 1 control panel.

See also

In Spanish: Lunojod 1 para niños