Chandrayaan-3's Pragyan rover captures Vikram lander on Moon
What's the story
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.'
Twitter Post
Take a look at Pragyan's view of Vikram
Chandrayaan-3 Mission:
— ISRO (@isro) August 30, 2023
Smile, please📸!
Pragyan Rover clicked an image of Vikram Lander this morning.
The 'image of the mission' was taken by the Navigation Camera onboard the Rover (NavCam).
NavCams for the Chandrayaan-3 Mission are developed by the Laboratory for… pic.twitter.com/Oece2bi6zE
Details
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.
What Next?
Pragyan rover has discovered sulphur and oxygenÂ
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.