Chandrayaan-3’s Pragyan Rover Captures First Photo of Vikram Lander On Moon’s South Pole

In a monumental achievement, the Chandrayaan-3 mission has seen the Pragyan Rover traverse the lunar landscape, leading to the exciting moment when it snapped an image of the Vikram Lander. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) shared this remarkable photograph, taken by Pragyan’s onboard navigation camera (NavCam), on Wednesday.

After safely landing on the moon, the rover has been actively engaged in the mission’s primary objective—collecting invaluable information from the lunar surface. With a compact design weighing 26 kg, measuring three feet in length, 2.5 feet in width, and 2.8 feet in height, the Chandrayaan-3 rover moves gracefully on six wheels.

A significant breakthrough in the mission was the confirmation of oxygen’s presence in the moon’s southern polar region. The accomplishment was made possible by the Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument, part of the Pragyan payload. This pioneering in-situ experiment has opened doors to further exploration and understanding of the moon’s composition.

Currently, ‘Pragyan’ is on the quest for hydrogen on the lunar surface. Scientists predict that the discovery of hydrogen, following the revelation of oxygen, could potentially lead to water production on the moon—a vital resource for future lunar endeavors.

The Chandrayaan-3 mission previously uncovered the presence of sulfur, aluminum, calcium, iron, chromium, and titanium during its initial days on the moon. Ongoing efforts have also identified manganese, silicon, and oxygen on the moon’s surface. The pursuit of hydrogen remains a priority as the scientific community anticipates groundbreaking revelations.

Another significant achievement attributed to Chandrayaan-3 is the data sent by the ChaSTE payload mounted on Vikram lander. This data provided insights into the moon’s temperature variations at different depths, illuminating the disparity between its surface and subsurface temperatures.

The success of Chandrayaan-3 has ignited enthusiasm not only within ISRO’s ranks but also among scientists worldwide. The exploration of the moon’s southern pole has the potential to unravel long-standing lunar mysteries, inspiring a new era of lunar exploration and understanding.”