Chandrayaan-3's Pragyan rover captures Vikram lander on Moon
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has shared an image captured by the Chandrayaan-3's Pragyan rover, showcasing its first view of the Vikram lander. The image, shared on X, was taken using the rover's Navigation Camera (NavCam). It highlights the rover's capabilities and India's successful lunar mission. The image also shows Vikram's two main payloads: ChaSTE and ILSA. The lander is positioned near the Moon's south pole and its landing site is now called 'Shiv Shakti Point.'
Take a look at Pragyan's view of Vikram
Bengaluru's LEOS developed Pragyan's NavCam
Developed by the Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems (LEOS) in Bengaluru, the NavCam onboard Pragyan plays a crucial role in capturing images and assisting the rover's navigation on the Moon. This technology is essential for documenting the mission's progress and findings. Thanks to the NavCam, the rover avoided falling into a 4-meter-wide crater while navigating the lunar surface. On August 27, the rover was "commanded to retrace" its path and later put on a new route to continue its exploration.
Pragyan rover has discovered sulphur and oxygen
Pragyan has also made a significant discovery, detecting sulphur near the Moon's south pole. It utilized its Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument to confirm sulfur's presence, a feat not possible with previous orbiter instruments. Pragyan's preliminary analyses have also indicated the presence of aluminum, iron, calcium, chromium, titanium, manganese, silicon, and oxygen. "Thorough investigation regarding the presence of hydrogen is underway," per ISRO.
