The ‘Lunokhod 1’ robotic lunar rover circa 1970. Photo Credit: Lavochkin Today, robotic planetary rovers are becoming increasingly common. But 50 years ago, such a thing was nearly unheard of. That changed on Nov. 15, 1970, when the Soviet Union landed...
The Soviet “Luna 24” three-stage spacecraft displayed in a museum. Credit: Roscosmos. Thirty-eight years ago, the Soviet “Luna 24” spacecraft successfully completed its mission to bring back samples of the lunar surface to Earth, returning 170 grams of...