The Chandrayaan-3 mission achieved a significant milestone today as the Pragyan rover, deployed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), captured its first image of the Vikram lander on the Moon’s South Pole. The image was taken by the Navigation Camera onboard the rover, marking a significant achievement in India’s lunar exploration endeavors.
Since its successful touchdown on the lunar surface on August 23, the Pragyan rover has been diligently carrying out experiments in the unexplored region of the Moon’s South Pole. The ISRO shared two images of the Vikram lander, showcasing the progress made by the rover since its historic landing.
One of the remarkable observations made by the ISRO pertains to the lunar surface’s temperature. Contrary to expectations, the temperature on the Moon’s South Pole was found to be significantly higher than anticipated. The agency reported a wide temperature variation ranging from -10 to 50 degrees Celsius.
Further investigations by the Pragyan rover revealed the presence of several elements on the lunar surface. The preliminary analysis unveiled the existence of Aluminum (Al), Sulphur (S), Calcium (Ca), Iron (Fe), Chromium (Cr), and Titanium (Ti). Subsequent measurements brought to light the presence of additional elements, including manganese (Mn), silicon (Si), and oxygen (O). Notably, the search for hydrogen is still ongoing.
In the course of its experiments, the Pragyan rover encountered a challenge on Monday when it identified a 4-meter diameter crater positioned just 3 meters ahead of its location. The ISRO’s command center swiftly intervened and redirected the rover to a safer path, exemplifying the precision and expertise of the agency’s operations.
Nilesh Desai, Director of ISRO’s Space Applications Centre, emphasized the time-sensitive nature of the mission. The ISRO has until September 3 to conduct its experiments on the lunar surface, aligning with the mission’s goal of completing activities within one lunar day, equivalent to 14 Earth days.
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