NASA orbiter captures Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander on Moon
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has captured an image of India's Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander, which successfully touched down near the Moon's south pole on August 23. The NASA probe captured the image on August 27, four days after the mission's historic landing. Chandrayaan-3 is the first mission ever to land close to the relatively unexplored lunar south pole which is believed to harbor huge amounts of water ice.
The lander is seen surrounded by a 'bright halo'
The new photo shows the lander's shadow surrounded by a "bright halo," which "resulted from the rocket plume interacting with the fine-grained regolith (soil)," per NASA. The camera onboard LRO captured an oblique view (42-degree slew angle) of the lander.
Pragyan and Vikram are currently 'sleeping'
Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander touched down on the Moon along with the Pragyan rover, which was deployed post-landing. Pragyan and Vikram explored their surroundings for almost two weeks before being put to sleep to prepare for the long lunar night. The ISRO is hopeful that they will awaken around September 22. Notably, both Pragyan and Vikram have accomplished their primary missions.
Why the Moon's polar regions are of special interest
The Moon's polar regions have become popular targets for future missions, owing to their potential water ice reserves. NASA's Artemis 3 mission, for example, aims to put astronauts down near the Moon's south pole in late 2025 or 2026. The agency plans to build one or more bases in the area over the coming years, utilizing the resources discovered by missions like Chandrayaan-3 to support human outposts and fuel further exploration of the solar system.
