Lunokhod 1 on the Moon. Computer illustration of the Lunokhod 1 lunar rover on the surface of the Moon. Lunokhod 1 was the first remote-controlled vehicle to land on another solar system body. It was launched by the Soviet Union on the Luna 17 spacecraft on 10th November 1970 and reached the surface of the Moon on 17th November. It drove around the surface of the Moon in short bursts until 14th September 1971 when contact was lost. It travelled a total of more than 10km, returned more than 20,000 images and 25 soil analysis investigations.