Engineers constructed the one-hectare lunodrom to serve as a training ground for testing Lunokhod chassis designs. Cosmonauts practiced controlling the rovers there before any mission launched. The facility supported all Soviet lunar programs alongside the Evpatoria Deep Space Tracking Facility.
Alexander Kemurdzhian designed the metal chassis while Georgy Babakin led the design team at the Lavochkin design bureau. Each rover stood about 1.3 meters high, weighed roughly 756 kilograms, and measured approximately 2.3 meters long by 1.6 meters wide. Eight wheels featured independent suspension, motors, brakes, and electric motors inside pressurized containers within every wheel hub.
Luna 17 launched on the 10th of November 1970 and entered lunar orbit on the 15th of November 1970. Soft landing occurred on the Sea of Rains on the 17th of November 1970 at 03:47 UTC. The rover operated for 322 Earth days while traveling 10.5 kilometers total distance.
Lunokhod 2 covered 42 kilometers over four months of operation after rolling down its ramp on the 16th of January 1973. This vehicle held the record for longest extraterrestrial travel until 2014 when Mars rovers surpassed it. Over 80,000 television pictures were transmitted back to ground stations during the mission.
Vehicle 8ЕЛ№201 launched on the 19th of February 1969 but disintegrated within seconds before reaching orbit. Radioactive heat sources spread across a large region of Russia after the crash and Polonium-210 particles contaminated soil and air over hundreds of square kilometers. Engineers began work immediately on another lunar vehicle to replace the lost unit.