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DIRECTORATE OP INTELLIGENCE
WEEKLY REVIEW
Top Stoat
USSR
ROAMS AGAIN
Early this weak, the Soviets successfully landed another rover vehicle,n the moon's surface. The new rover Is expected to opemta for several months and to continue the exploration program conducted by0he Lunokhod landing Is the latest In the series of unmanned lunar missions that the Soviets have been conducting for the past several years. No Soviet attemptanned lunar landing Is likely before the end of the decade.
as carried to the moon aboardpace probe launched from Tyuratamanuary. The landing occurredn the Sea of Serenity,iles from the area of the Apolloission last month. Shortly after the probe landed, the new rover rolledamp onto the moonoviet flagikeness of Lenin.
The Soviets have released little Information aboutt Is believed to be similar to the eight-wheeledlthough rtweighsounds more. Like this predecessor,ill beround station in the Soviet Union and will operate only during lunarhich last about two weeks.
According to TASS,illbut not duplicate tha work of tha first moon rover. The earlier vehicle transmittedback to earth and conducted severalexperiments. Including some to determine the properties of lunar soil.robably will carry out similar experiments, although the additional weight suggests that new programs have been added. Like the first Lunokhod, the second roverrench laser reflector that will be used to measure distances between the earth and the moon. The active life ofwas more than tenexceeding Sovietthe new venlclo could operate for about the same length of time.
The Lunokhods are part of the Sovietof unmanned lunar research that has been under wayn addition to the rover vehicles, this effort has Included experimentsfrom lunar orbit and two missions thatew ounces of lunar soil. The Soviets am not expected toanned lunaruntil at' least theecause they lack an operational space booster comparable to the US Saturn V.
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