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| .....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
was equipped with a cone-shaped antenna,
a highly directional helical antenna,
four television cameras, and special
extendable devices 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 was intended to operate through
three lunar days but actually operated
for eleven lunar days. The operations of
Lunokhod officially ceased on October 4,
1971, the anniversary of Sputnik 1. |
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