Luna 21

Luna 21 delivered the Lunokhod 2 rover to Le Monnier crater. Lunokhod 2 operated for about 4 months, travelling approximately 42 km — the longest distance travelled by any off-Earth wheeled vehicle for over three decades.

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Agency / Country

Soviet Space Program (Soviet Union)

Mission Status

LANDED

Launch / Target Year

1973

Spacecraft / Type

Luna 21 / Lunokhod 2 rover

Landing Site Zone

Le Monnier Crater (Mare Serenitatis)

Surface Coordinates

Lat 25.83°, Lon 30.92°

Mission Imagery & Gallery

Luna 21 photograph 1: Soviet Space Program — Lunokhod 2 rover on the lunar surface in Le Monnier crater, 1973. (Public domain / Soviet Space Program) — Soviet Space Program — Lunokhod 2 rover on the lunar surface in Le Monnier crater, 1973. (Public domain / Soviet Space Program)

Primary Achievement

Deployed Lunokhod 2 — farthest-travelling rover of its era

Mission Objectives

Deploy and operate Lunokhod 2 in Le Monnier crater
Conduct extended surface traverses (42 km achieved)
Study magnetic field anomalies near mare-highland boundary
Photograph surface terrain in high resolution

Timeline Events

1973-01-08 — Launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome
1973-01-15 — Lands at Le Monnier crater; Lunokhod 2 deployed
1973-01-15 — Lunokhod 2 begins surface operations
1973-05-11 — Last contact — 42 km travelled, lunar distance record for decades

Related Missions

Luna 17 (1970) · USSR

Historical & Technical Sources

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