India achieves remarkable feat as Chandrayaan-3’s Pragyaan rover successfully embarks on lunar exploration.
Lunar South Pole Landing:
In a groundbreaking achievement, India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission has accomplished a historic lunar landing near the south pole region. The milestone event unfolded as planned on Wednesday evening, positioning India as the pioneer in lunar exploration.
Pragyaan Rover’s First Steps:
The six-wheeled 27kg (60lb) rover, aptly named Pragyaan, meaning “wisdom” in Sanskrit, gracefully descended onto the lunar surface. Approximately at 1:30 AM Indian Standard Time on Thursday (8 PM GMT Wednesday), Pragyaan smoothly maneuvered down Vikram lander’s ramp, marking the realization of this monumental mission. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) achieved this remarkable Moon landing, a testimony to their technical prowess.
Lunar Exploration Details:
Pragyaan, now standing on the Moon, will undertake an extensive exploration during its span of one lunar day, which equates to about 14 Earth days. The rover carries two vital scientific instruments – the Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) and the Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS).
Scientific Endeavors:
APXS assumes the task of analyzing the lunar surface’s elemental composition, providing insights into elements such as magnesium and aluminium present in the lunar soil surrounding the landing site. Pragyaan’s communication will be channeled through the lander, which, in turn, transmits the information to Chandrayaan-2’s orbiter. This orbiter, still in lunar orbit, will then relay the data to Earth for meticulous analysis.
Unique Lunar Imprints and Presidential Acclaim:
Pragyaan’s journey across the Moon is accompanied by an intriguing gesture – its wheels are designed to leave impressions of both ISRO’s emblem and India’s national symbol, the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath, as it moves at a speed of 1cm per second. India’s president, Droupadi Murmu, expressed her congratulations and pride for the successful deployment of Pragyaan and Vikram-lander, hailing it as another significant stage of Chandrayaan 3.
Pursuit of Water and Beyond:
While the Moon is known to harbor valuable minerals, Chandrayaan-3’s primary objective is to search for water. Within the Moon’s perpetually shadowed craters at the south pole, scientists believe there lies ice – a potential resource for future human habitation and spacecraft propellant for missions to distant destinations, including Mars.
Financials and Scientific Endeavors:
Both the Chandrayaan-3 lander and rover are engaged in scientific inquiries on the Moon, encompassing a total investment of about £63 million ($82 million). This mission entails probing the Moon’s thermal properties through Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) and monitoring lunar seismic activity via the ILSA instrument.
Comprehensive Lunar Assessment:
The mission’s scope also spans ranging studies and analysis of the Moon’s gas and plasma environment. With Chandrayaan-3’s success, India has firmly established itself as a leader in space exploration, achieving a feat that holds far-reaching implications for humanity’s understanding of the cosmos.
