Lunokhod rediscovered

Last week Science Daily carried a report about the rediscovery of the soviet lunar explorer hLunokhod 2 by a researcher in Canada.

Phil Stooke pinpointed the errant moon walker using lunar images from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) released on 15 March and maps from his own atlas of the moon.

As soon as the NASA photos were released Stooke, began work to locate the rover. Stooke set up a searchable image database and located the photograph he needed, among thousands of others.


"The tracks were visible at once," he said. "Knowing the history of the mission, it's possible to trace the rover's activities in fine detail. We can see where it measured the magnetic field, driving back and forth over the same route to improve the data. And we can also see where it drove into a small crater, and accidentally covered its heat radiator with soil as it struggled to get out again. That ultimately caused it to overheat and stop working. And the rover itself shows up as a dark spot right where it stopped."

Well there you have it Lunokhod 2 travelled 35km on the moon in 1973 and was then lost. But now it is found. One person who will be very pleased that it has been found again will be Richard Garriot who purchased it at auction for $68,500 in 1993. Getting it home will cost rather more...

University of Western Ontario. "Russian Lunar Rover Found: 37-Year-Old Space Mystery Solved." ScienceDaily 17 March 2010. 22 March 2010 .