Russian scientists at the Moscow State University of Geodesy and Cartography (MIIGAiK) revised that to an estimated distance of about based on Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) images of the lunar surface. Subsequent discussions with their American counterparts ended with an agreed-upon final distance of ; an international team has confirmed that the methods used to calculate the two rovers' odometry is consistent and comparable from the Moon to Mars. Lunokhod 2 held the record for off-Earth roving distance until July 27, 2014, when NASA's Mars Opportunity rover exceeded it after having traveled over . Current status Lunokhod 2 continues to be detected by lunar laser ranging experiments and its position is known to sub-meter accuracy. On March 17, 2010 Phil Stooke at the University of Western Ontario announced that he had located Lunokhod 2 in NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) images, but later images showed the initial identification was incorrect (the identified point was a mark in the rover tracks near the end of the route, made as Lunokhod 2 turned around), and the LRO LROC team identified the correct location of the rover in March 2012. Excellent Lunokhod 2 images from LROC were published by Mark Robinson on SESE site of ASU. Present ownership Ownership of Lunokhod 2 and the Luna 21 lander was sold by the Lavochkin Association for $68,500 in December 1993 at a Sotheby's auction in New York. (The catalog incorrectly lists lot 68A as Luna 17/Lunokhod 1). The buyer was computer gaming entrepreneur and space tourist Richard Garriott (son of the astronaut Owen K. Garriott), who stated in a 2001 interview with Computer Games Magazine'''s Cindy Yans that: I purchased Lunakod 21 from the Russians. I am now the world's only private owner of an object on a foreign celestial body. Though there are international treaties that say, no government shall lay claim to geography off planet earth, I am not a government. Summarily, I claim the moon in the name of Lord British! Garriott later confirmed that he is the owner of Lunokhod 2.The Astronaut's Son's Secret Sputnik. CollectSPACE. October 2007 See also Exploration of the Moon Lunar rover Lunokhod 1 Rover (space exploration) Timeline of artificial satellites and space probes List of artificial objects on the Moon References External links Zarya – Lunokhod 2 chronology Don P. Mitchell's catalog of Soviet Moon Images including many from Lunokhod 2 Lunokhod 2 information and VRML