Re: Lunochod 1 and 2 mission photos..



Henry Spencer wrote:



either the point pressing on the rock was very small in diameter or it was somehow driven down with a known force...



Very likely both.



The problem is that the soil probe is on the back end of the Lunakhod and that means that you have to back up to the rock to test it or drive over it in such a way that you stop with the soil probe over the rock.
Backing up to it would be difficult as there doesn't appear to be a camera facing due aft (although there are two mounted on the sides that can take panoramic still pictures that show where the rover has been).
Driving over it raises the threat that the rover will get stuck straddling the rock.
Assuming that you could get the soil probe in position over it, the size of the indentation it would make on the rock if it used a very small point to strike it with would probably be below the resolution limit of the rover's cameras, which was none too good: http://pages.preferred.com/%7Etedstryk/lunokhod2.html
Here's a view of a model showing the back of the Lunakhod and its distance measuring wheel and the retracted soil probe next to it: http://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/models/ipms2005/images/Lunakhod%20aft.jpg
I don't know what the black cylindrical thing above it is, but the shield behind it makes me suspect this is the isotopic heater.
Here's the unlaunched Lunakhod 3 BTW: http://www.novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru/content/photogallery/gallery_018/images/IMG_1193.jpg

Pat
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