Sad end of a once proud moonrover, Lunokhod 1 model found |
Sad end of a once proud moonrover, Lunokhod 1 model found |
Feb 28 2010, 12:52 PM
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#1
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Member Group: Members Posts: 236 Joined: 5-June 08 From: Udon Thani Member No.: 4185 |
Engineering model (?) of Lunokhod 1 moonrover found in a container on courtyard of the Institute for Space Studies
see: http://andrey-rogovsky.habrahabr.ru/blog/8...comment_2563853 According to the translated text, there are a lot more containers on that same courtyard, nobody seems to know what's inside.. |
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Feb 28 2010, 01:18 PM
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#2
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1729 Joined: 3-August 06 From: 43° 35' 53" N 1° 26' 35" E Member No.: 1004 |
the poor frog... what a sad end!
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Feb 28 2010, 03:02 PM
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#3
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1578 Joined: 14-October 05 From: Vermont Member No.: 530 |
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Feb 28 2010, 03:06 PM
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#4
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Senior Member Group: Admin Posts: 4763 Joined: 15-March 05 From: Glendale, AZ Member No.: 197 |
It's worth noting that the article has some pointed political commentary, so let's keep this discussion to the spacecraft remnants.
-------------------- If Occam had heard my theory, things would be very different now.
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Feb 28 2010, 03:20 PM
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#5
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Member Group: Members Posts: 236 Joined: 5-June 08 From: Udon Thani Member No.: 4185 |
It's worth noting that the article has some pointed political commentary, so let's keep this discussion to the spacecraft remnants. Fully agree. But seeing images like that, I wish I had the time/resources/money to get over there, buy the whole lot, sort it out, and restore it in its original glory. So much gets lost which should belong in some museum.. |
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Feb 28 2010, 03:20 PM
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#6
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Member Group: Members Posts: 399 Joined: 28-August 07 From: San Francisco Member No.: 3511 |
Is there anything to suggest a reconstruction?
-------------------- 'She drove until the wheels fell off...'
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Feb 28 2010, 07:38 PM
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#7
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Member Group: Members Posts: 903 Joined: 30-January 05 Member No.: 162 |
I trust the highly radioactive polonium heating element was removed . . . . .
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Feb 28 2010, 10:24 PM
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#8
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2073 Joined: 13-February 10 From: Ontario Member No.: 5221 |
It's worth noting that the article has some pointed political commentary, so let's keep this discussion to the spacecraft remnants. My Cyrrilic isn't that good enough to read anyway, so no issue there. Anyway: it's a real shame that so much of these priceless artifacts end up rusting in some forgotten scrap bin! Surely, surely, someone out there has the resources to rescue them from oblivion. Not just the sentimental value, but practical value for historians of the future. We have no idea what Columbus's ships looked like, remember. No contemporary likeness of them exists! |
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Feb 28 2010, 10:37 PM
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#9
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Merciless Robot Group: Admin Posts: 8783 Joined: 8-December 05 From: Los Angeles Member No.: 602 |
Man, that photo is just heartbreaking.
On the plus side, she looks to be in pretty good shape considering how much time has passed. I'm optimistic that someone will rescue her! -------------------- A few will take this knowledge and use this power of a dream realized as a force for change, an impetus for further discovery to make less ancient dreams real.
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Feb 28 2010, 11:31 PM
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#10
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Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 2785 Joined: 10-November 06 From: Pasadena, CA Member No.: 1345 |
It's been found and noted. Isn't that a good start?
Man, it would be neat to go through those other boxes! -------------------- Some higher resolution images available at my photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31678681@N07/
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Mar 1 2010, 03:25 AM
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#11
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1281 Joined: 18-December 04 From: San Diego, CA Member No.: 124 |
I trust the highly radioactive polonium heating element was removed . . . . . There's no guarantee of that... ! I'm impressed at how shiny it still looks, even with the paint peeling. The Lunokhods always looked like they would be more at home at the bottom of the sea to me than on the Moon what with their pressurized bodies, but that's just my Western "Surveyor bias" showing I guess.... -------------------- Lyford Rome
"Zis is not nuts, zis is super-nuts!" Mathematician Richard Courant on viewing an Orion test |
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Mar 1 2010, 04:34 AM
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#12
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Member Group: Members Posts: 236 Joined: 5-June 08 From: Udon Thani Member No.: 4185 |
I'm impressed at how shiny it still looks, even with the paint peeling. The lunokhod's on display were as far as I know always nicely painted white, but I suspect the original flight model wasn't painted or might have been covered with thermal blankets (similar to Soyuz, which is also often displayed without these blankets), the few images which show the assembly of the original craft do not seem to show a white craft (see attached). The craft in the container seems similar to Lunokhod 1 (although there were a few launch failures prior Lunokhod 1 so it might have been an engineering model of one of those), Lunokhod 2 and 3 had different camera positions. But from the one image it's impossible to tell whether this sad craft is a more or less flightworthy model or some prototype or display-unit or whatever. I dearly would love to take a look and open up those other containers and boxes to see what 'treasures' are inside (although, indeed, I would carry a geiger counter with me..). |
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Mar 2 2010, 01:58 PM
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#13
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Member Group: Members Posts: 236 Joined: 5-June 08 From: Udon Thani Member No.: 4185 |
Received the following message from Igor Lissov:
QUOTE I have got official response from Olga Zakutnyaya in the PR office of the Space Research Institute. The Institute indeed received 14 boxes with different copies of Soviet spacecraft for restauration and exhibition. They state that the copy of Lunokhod will be revealed this April 12, and other exhibits will be ready by October 4. So, action is indeed being taken and we should see Lunokhod restaured in its original glory! |
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Mar 4 2010, 04:47 PM
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#14
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 57 Joined: 22-March 09 From: West Hartford, Connecicut Member No.: 4691 |
It hurts to see history being neglected and allowed to rust away. Restoring these artifacts for display will be educational and inspirational. Can it be assumed that other artifacts will be offered for restoration elsewhere?
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Mar 4 2010, 07:36 PM
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#15
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1281 Joined: 18-December 04 From: San Diego, CA Member No.: 124 |
So, action is indeed being taken and we should see Lunokhod restaured in its original glory! And we hope to see some LRO images to add to that museum display soon! http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2010/pdf/2173.pdf -------------------- Lyford Rome
"Zis is not nuts, zis is super-nuts!" Mathematician Richard Courant on viewing an Orion test |
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