Lunokhod 1 became the first remote-controlled vehicle to operate on the Moon in 1970.
The Soviet Union launched Luna 17 on 10 November 1970, carrying Lunokhod 1. The spacecraft delivered the rover to the lunar surface on 17 November, in the Mare Imbrium region. Controllers on Earth drove it using television images and other instruments.
Lunokhod 1 was powered partly by solar energy and carried cameras, a laser reflector, a penetrometer, and scientific sensors. It greatly exceeded its planned operating life, traveling about 10.5 kilometers during roughly 11 months of work.
Lunokhod 2 followed in 1973 and traveled farther, so the two rovers are sometimes confused. However, Lunokhod 1 holds the earlier milestone: it was the first successful mobile robot on another world.