Editing Lunokhod programme (section)

==Rover design==
[[Image:Lunokhod-2 model.jpg|thumb|Model of Lunokhod vehicle]]
[[Image:Lunokhod-2 model, detail.jpg|thumb|Detail of Lunokhod's wheels]]

The Lunokhod rovers were lunar vehicles formed of a tub-like compartment with a large convex lid on eight independently-powered wheels. They were equipped with a cone-shaped antenna, a highly directional [[helical antenna]], [[television cameras]], and special extendable devices to impact the lunar soil for density measurements and mechanical property tests, plus a scientific payload which varied with the mission.

The Lunokhods were designed under the leadership of  [[Georgy Babakin]]<ref>{{Cite web|publisher=Cosmic Mirror|date=March 6, 2003|issue=250|url=http://www.astro.uni-bonn.de/~dfischer/mirror/250.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030501225021/http://www.astro.uni-bonn.de/~dfischer/mirror/250.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 1, 2003|title=Lunochod's chief designer is dead}}</ref> at [[Lavochkin]] design bureau. The metal chassis themselves were designed by [[Alexander Kemurdzhian]].

The vehicles were powered by [[battery (electricity)|batteries]]. The rover ran during the lunar day, stopping occasionally to recharge its batteries using its solar panels. The power was supplied during the lunar day by a [[GaAs]] solar array on the inside of a round hinged lid which covered the instrument bay, which would charge the batteries when opened. During the lunar nights, the lid was closed and a [[polonium-210]] [[radioisotope heater unit]] kept the internal components at [[operating temperature]].<ref>Blair, Sean (March 14, 2011)." [https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2011/03/rovers-learning-from-lunokhod/ Rovers learning from Lunokhod]", ''E&T News''. Retrieved 23 June 2022.</ref>

To be able to work in a vacuum a special fluoride-based [[Materials for use in vacuum#Lubricants|lubricant]] was used for the rover's mechanical parts, and the electric motors, one in each wheel hub, were enclosed in pressurised containers.<ref>{{cite episode|network=[[SVT2]]|series=Vetenskapens värld|title=Den ryska månbilen|airdate=11 February 2008|url=http://www.svt.se/svt/jsp/Crosslink.jsp?d=32313&a=1049140&lid=is_search527895&lpos=0&queryArt527895=m%E5nbil&sortOrder527895=0&doneSearch=true&sd=47225&from=siteSearch&pageArt527895=0|language=sv|access-date=11 February 2008|archive-date=2 June 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080602170839/http://www.svt.se/svt/jsp/Crosslink.jsp?d=32313&a=1049140&lid=is_search527895&lpos=0&queryArt527895=m%E5nbil&sortOrder527895=0&doneSearch=true&sd=47225&from=siteSearch&pageArt527895=0|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.synlube.com/moon.htm |publisher=Synlube Lube-4-Life |title=Moon applications}}</ref>

The rovers stood {{convert|135|cm|ftin|abbr=off}} high and had a mass of {{convert|840|kg|lb|abbr=on}}. It was about {{convert|170|cm|ftin|abbr=off}} long and {{convert|160|cm|ftin|abbr=off}} wide and had eight wheels each with an independent suspension, motor and brake. The rover had two speeds, approximately {{convert|1|and|2|km/h|mph|abbr=on|1}}.

The Lunokhods were transported to the lunar surface by [[Luna programme|Luna]] spacecraft, which were launched by [[Proton-K]] rockets. The Moon lander part of the Luna spacecraft for Lunokhods was similar to the one for [[sample-return mission]]s.