posted 01-10-2023 02:37 PM               

Space Cover 684: Lunokhod 2 at 50 years

Pretty forgotten Lunokhod 2 was the swan song of Soviet Lunar program launched on January 8, 1973 and landed on the Moon on January 15. The apparatus was no different from ill-fated Lunokhod 1 besides additional camera supposed to aid in navigation. After 4 months Lunokhod 2 has been stuck in a crater and while getting out of it got itself covered in lunar dust. The machine recovered safely but the dust affected the solar battery performance that finally left Lunokhod without power supply. There was no alternative rather than abandon the project.

Philatelic story of Lunokhod has been marked by official issue of pretty impressive souvenir sheet and subsequent FDCs – one of them shown above. In addition a number of cachets were issued by dealers.

Wolfgang Anklam was pretty on top issuing a pretty attractive cachet on the cover cancelled by Kniga postmark

Lollini issued a cover postmarked with fake Bakonur cancellation (not unusual for the days)

Tartu Philatelic Club issued a cached marked the last operational day of the Lunokhod.

The last and my favorite - Soviet issue of space-related postcard featuring Lunokhod 2.