MAPPING THE MOON, VENUS AND MARS: THE SOVIET LUNAR AND PLANETARY PHOTOGRAPHIC AND MAP ARCHIVE

摘要

The Soviet Union engaged in an extensive programme for the exploration of the moon, Mars and Venus from 1958 to 1989. Most attention has focused on the engineering and political aspects of these missions. It is sometimes overlooked that one of the principal objectives of these missions was to compile maps and atlases of these solar system bodies, this being done through a variety of photographic devices and radar. Here we review the Soviet project to map the moon, Mars and Venus and the key role played in the project by Yuri Lipsky and the Sternberg Astronomical Institute. This paper reviews the methods used, the mapping outcomes of the missions and the Soviet photographic collection; and questions whether there are still archived images that we have yet to see.