Editing Lunokhod programme (section)

==Development==
[[Image:TNA-400.jpg|thumb|Parabolic dish TNA-400 and abandoned NIP-10]]

Lunokhod's original primary mission was to be the back-up for [[Soviet crewed lunar programs|L3 crewed Moon expeditions]] and for the later [[Zvezda (moonbase)|Zvezda]] [[Colonization of the Moon|lunar base]].{{citation needed|date=April 2019}} For mission safety, weeks before the human mission on a [[LK (spacecraft)|LK lander]], an LK-R uncrewed lander from the L3 lunar expedition complex and two Lunokhod automated rovers would be sent to the Moon for a preliminary study of the surface around LK-R and LK sites, to act as radio beacons for precision landings of LK-R and LK, and for a visual evaluation of the status of the site.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Soyuz 7K-LOK |url=http://www.astronautix.com/s/soyuz7k-lok.html |access-date=2022-11-07 |website=www.astronautix.com}}</ref>

In mid-1968, at the facility KIP-10 or NIP-10 (КИП-10 or НИП-10, located at {{Coordinates|45.052703|33.890256}})<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kik-sssr.ru/10.7_Lunohody.htm|title=10.7 Луноходы Симф|website=kik-sssr.ru|access-date=2015-07-27|archive-date=2021-10-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027185436/http://www.kik-sssr.ru/10.7_Lunohody.htm|url-status=usurped}}</ref> in the [[Closed city|closed town]] {{ill|Shkolnoye (Simferopol-28)|ru|Школьное (Крым)}}, near [[Simferopol]], [[Crimea]], a lunodrom (лунодром - Moondrome, located at {{Coordinates|45.054212|33.893627}}) was built. It covered an area of one hectare (120 meters by 70 meters) and was very similar to some parts of the lunar surface. It was constructed using more than 3,000 cubic meters of soil, and included 54 craters up to 16 m in diameter and around about 160 rocks of various sizes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/martintrolle/8811026706|title=NIP-10 Simferopol Near Earth Satellite Center, The Lunokhod Moon Drome|website=flickr.com|date=30 August 2011}}</ref> The whole area was surrounded with bricks, painted in gray and black. It was used to analyze problems with the Lunokhod chassis and cosmonaut's skill to control one.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.astronaut.ru/luna/crew.htm|script-title=ru:Космическая энциклопедия|language=ru|date=September 18, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.panoramio.com/photo/8994008|title=Panoramio is no longer available|website=www.panoramio.com|access-date=2017-10-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170928162733/http://www.panoramio.com/photo/8994008|archive-date=2017-09-28|url-status=dead}}</ref> 

Closed town Simferopol-28 contained the most significant tracking facility in the Soviet Union, having the largest number of antennas, the largest area, and the most personnel of any of the Soviet tracking facilities. The facility was one of a network of ten facilities which contain earth satellite vehicle tracking equipment and provide command/control for Soviet near-space civil and military events. Additionally, this facility supported [[Exploration of the Moon|all lunar programmes]] of the Soviet Union, in association with the [[Pluton (complex)|Evpatoria Deep Space Tracking Facility]].<ref>NATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION CENTER June 1969 [http://rumlin.narod.ru/files/nip-10_CIA_report.pdf SIMFEROPOL SPACEFLIGHT CENTER]</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/product/978-0-8032-3446-8-Infinity-Beckoned,677015.aspx?skuid=25752|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904043800/http://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/product/978-0-8032-3446-8-Infinity-Beckoned,677015.aspx?skuid=25752  |url-status=dead |title=Infinity Beckoned by Jay Gallentine|archive-date=September 4, 2015}}</ref>

At least four complete vehicles were constructed, with the serial numbers 201, 203, 204 and 205.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}}