The Lunokhot 2 has been found. Click for a larger image. Image: University of Western Ontario / LRO

Finally!  Way back in 1973 the Soviet Union launched a lunar rover.  Truth is they launched a couple rovers, this particular one was called Lunokhod 2.

The rover was very successful, operating for over four months sending back: 86 panoramas, over 80,000 TV images, conducting many lunar surface and other tests, and traveling over 22 miles (35 km) in the process.  Then sadly the rover met its demise.  Apparently the open lid containing solar cells touched a crater wall at some point and got moon dirt in it.  When the lid closed for the night, the dirt went down into the radiators and the next day when the lid was opened the radiators could no longer cool the rover because of the insulating value of the dirt and basically cooked it.

I’ve been off-and-on looking at the LRO data for signs of these rovers for a while now without any luck.  Seems every place I wanted to look at didn’t have data.   As it turns out a fellow named Phil Stooke, a professor from the University of Western Ontario has found the Lunokhod 2.  YAY!  How did he do it?  He used images released just days ago from the LRO and maps from his own.  As I found out the “maps of his own” bit was a really important part.  The maps are needed to be able to pinpoint surface features were needed to be able to zoom in on the surface image someplace close to the target – I found out it was nearly impossible to find very small features any other way.

Here’s the time line of Lunokhod 2 (and Luna 21) from Zarya.

Read the press release from the University of Western Ontario.

After successfully solving a 37 year old mystery of Lunokhod, it sounds like Professor Stooke is turning his attention to Mars.  I hope he goes looking for the Beagle 2!!