Pragyan Rover Runs Into a Large Crater On The Moon, Forcing ISRO To Change Its Course

The rover Pragyan was safely rerouted after coming across a sizable crater that was ahead of its location, according to the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) most recent update on the Chandrayaan-3 project.

Massive crater encountered on the moon

On August 27, 2023, the rover discovered a crater with a diameter of 4 meters that was 3 metres in front of where it was. The order to turn around was given to the Rover. It’s now moving safely in a new direction.

The temperature on the lunar surface lowers significantly with depth, at least towards the south pole, according to the first results of studies being carried out by Chandrayaan-3 sensors.

Chandrayaan-3 was to create a temperature profile

An instrument on the lander module called ChaSTE, or Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment, has detected a dramatic drop in temperature in the lunar topsoil. According to ISRO, the temperature plunged to roughly -10 degrees Celsius at just 10 cm below the surface, whereas it was 45 degrees Celsius above.
One of the goals of the tests being conducted by Chandrayaan-3 was to create a temperature profile of the lunar topsoil.

Shiv Shakti Point

The Pragyan rover was visible in a 40-second video that ISRO posted on Saturday as it explored the area around Shiv Shakti Point, the location of the spacecraft’s lunar landing, in search of lunar secrets near the south pole. The lander was visible nearby, while the rover was observed traveling across the crater-filled lunar surface and leaving wheel tracks in its wake.

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On August 23, the ISRO wrote history as the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft touched down gently on the moon’s surface. With this accomplishment, India joined the former Soviet Union, the United States, and China as the fourth country to successfully land a spacecraft on the Moon. It was also the first country to reach the moon’s unexplored south pole region.