Russia 1973
Luna 21/Lunokhod 2
Lunokhod 2 roving over the lunar surface. It was delivered by a lander called
Luna 21. On the chart of the Moon behind, a star marks the landing position in
the eastern Mare Serenitatis (Sea of Serenity). Luna 21/Lunokhod 2 landed on
1973 January 15, just five weeks after the final Apollo mission, Apollo 17,
which visited an area about 180 km to the south.
Stanley Gibbons catalogue number:
4159
Along with the above stamp, the Russians released this pair of sheets. They
depict the trajectory of Luna 21 to the Moon, Lunokhod 2 on the surface, and an
engineer driving it by remote control from Earth. The designs of the two sheets
are identical; the only difference is their colour. The small illustrations at
top and bottom centre depict two pennants carried by the craft, a Russian space tradition.
Stanley Gibbons catalogue numbers:
MS4160, MS4161