Team Selenokhod is the first Russian team to enter the Google Lunar X PRIZE competition. The team name is derived from Lunokhod – the famous Soviet space project. In 1970 and 1973 Lunokhod-1 and Lunokhod-2 respectively were delivered to the Moon. They became the first remote-controlled rovers had ever traveled on the moon surface in history of mankind.

Our initial work was started as far back as in October, 2007 but it was more difficult to create a real team able to join the New Moon Race as we previously thought. Nevertheless all this time the work was underway. Now the Selenokhod team comprises of nearly ten experienced engineers and managers.

The team’s vehicle is comprised of two parts – a lander with a communications system and two rovers. Selenokhod rover is a small four-wheeled solar powered rover. Each of the rovers contains four independent wheels, an HD camera, a solar panel, rechargeable batteries and a low-gain, omni-directional antenna to communicate with each other and the lander.

Our preliminary mission plan is rather straightforward. Cheap Russian rocket like Dnepr or Rokot launches a spacecraft comprised of commercial booster stage, lander for midcourse corrections and landing, solid retro-rocket and two rovers. Booster stage performs the trans-lunar injection. During 4-5 day flight the lander performs corrections, then retro-rocket brakes all velocity near the Moon and the lander with rovers lands on the lunar surface. We plan to make a precision landing near the Surveyor 3 landing site.