Lunokhod 1 Reflector Returns 4x Stronger Signal After 40 Years Lost on the Moon
Updated
Updated · spacedaily.com · May 22
Lunokhod 1 Reflector Returns 4x Stronger Signal After 40 Years Lost on the Moon
4 articles · Updated · spacedaily.com · May 22
Apache Point’s APOLLO team recovered a laser return from Lunokhod 1 in 2010 after decades of uncertainty over the Soviet rover’s exact position on the Moon.
NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter supplied coordinates precise enough to target the reflector, whose first returns reached about 2,000 photons and later proved roughly four times stronger than Lunokhod 2’s.
Lunokhod 1 landed in 1970, stopped responding in 1971 after traveling about 10.5 kilometers, but its French-built passive retroreflector needed no power and remained usable as a ranging target.
Its location near the Moon’s limb improves measurements of lunar libration, helping refine models of the Moon’s interior in an experiment that also tracks the Moon’s drift from Earth at about 3.8 centimeters a year.
The strong return also adds a key data point to debates over whether dust, heat or other lunar aging effects are weakening older reflectors left on the surface.
After 50 years of dust and radiation, why is a lost Soviet mirror on the Moon now outperforming all others?
As new mirrors join this Soviet relic on the Moon, what fundamental secrets about Earth's history could they finally unlock?
From Lost to Legendary: The 40-Year Search and Scientific Revival of Lunokhod 1 on the Moon
Overview
For nearly 40 years, Lunokhod 1’s exact location on the Moon was a mystery after it stopped sending signals, leaving its scientific potential untapped. Despite repeated attempts to detect its French-built retroreflector with laser ranging, no signal was found. This changed in 2010 when advances in lunar imaging allowed Albert Abdrakhimov to identify the rover’s position using NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. With this breakthrough, scientists could finally target Lunokhod 1 for laser ranging, revealing its reflector was in excellent condition and opening new opportunities for lunar science and international collaboration.