8 October 2010
Russia's Steampunk Lunar Lander
Posted by Ryan Anderson
I always found the contrast between Soviet and US engineering fascinating. The goals were generally similar, but while the US seemed to aim for elegant, lightweight, optimized designs, Soviet spacecraft always look like they’re bolted together out of cast iron or something. That’s why I love this gallery of photos of the Soviet lunar lander that they developed during the space race. This thing looks like it should be used for deep sea exploration! Between this, and the always-awesome Lunokhod rovers, I’m pretty sure the Russians inadvertently started the steampunk movement. 
