Lunokhod-1 Soviet Lunar Surface Vehicle

Description of the delivery of the Soviet lunar exploration vehicle to the lunar surface in the Sea of Rains on 17 November 1970 by the Luna-17 mission, derived from literature published in the USSR between that date and May 1971. The fact that the Lunokhod-1 has thus far traveled nearly 10 km over rugged terrain and apparently continues to do so indicates success of the concept of a remote drone interacting directly with an unknown and hostile environment. Its sensory equipment comprises narrow-band television systems, mechanical probes, a chemical analysis system, X-ray and cosmic ray detectors, and assorted temperature and pressure gauges.