The Lost Moon Rover
The first rover to drive on another world fell silent in 1971, and for almost forty years no one knew exactly where it was parked.
What was reported
Lunokhod 1 was a Soviet rover, driven by remote control from Earth, that landed in the Sea of Rains in November 1970. Over ten months it travelled about 10 kilometres, sending back thousands of pictures, until contact was lost in September 1971.
It carried a mirror for bouncing lasers back to Earth, but nobody could find it again. For decades its location was known only roughly, and its reflector stayed quiet.
Explanations offered
In 2010, pictures from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter showed the rover and its tracks. A team in New Mexico then aimed a laser at that spot and got a reflection back, much stronger than expected, so the old rover is useful again for measuring the distance to the Moon.
- When
- Lost in 1971, found in 2010
- Where
- Mare Imbrium, the Moon
- Witnesses
- Soviet controllers, and astronomers in the United States
- Status
- Found
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.