The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced that the Chandrayaan-3 mission, the third lunar exploration mission by India, has successfully achieved three crucial mission objectives, marking a significant advancement in the country’s space exploration efforts.
In a social media update, ISRO shared, “Of the 3 mission objectives, Demonstration of a Safe and Soft Landing on the Lunar Surface is accomplished.” This achievement signifies a major milestone in India’s space journey, as soft landings on extraterrestrial surfaces are known for their complexity and technical challenges.
ISRO further stated that the objective of demonstrating a rover roving on the moon has been successfully accomplished. The rover, known as “Pragyan,” was deployed by the Lander Module (LM) and has traversed a distance of approximately eight meters on the lunar surface.
The third objective, conducting in-situ scientific experiments, is currently underway. All payloads on the Chandrayaan-3, including those on the Propulsion Module (PM), Lander Module (LM), and Rover, are reported to be performing normally.
To showcase the accomplishments, ISRO released a video capturing the Pragyan rover’s movements around the “Shiv Shakti Point” in the South Pole region of the moon. The video displays the rover’s successful traversal of the lunar terrain and its pursuit of uncovering lunar secrets.
ISRO highlighted that the success of the deployment mechanisms was essential for the rover’s achievements. A two-segment ramp facilitated the rover’s descent, and a solar panel provided power generation capabilities to the rover. The video released by ISRO demonstrated the rapid deployment of the ramp and solar panel, showcasing the intricacies of the process before the rover’s rollout and movement towards sunlight.
The Chandrayaan-3 mission reached a significant milestone when the Lander Module executed a soft landing on the South Polar Region of the Moon. India became the first nation to achieve this feat successfully. Subsequently, the rover was deployed from the lander a few hours later, following the clearing of dust caused by the landing.
ISRO conveyed its excitement by stating, “The Ch-3 Rover ramped down from the Lander, and India took a walk on the moon!” This achievement underscores India’s prowess in space exploration and its determination to explore the uncharted territories of the moon.
The successful outcomes of Chandrayaan-3’s objectives mark a crucial step forward in India’s space exploration endeavors and contribute to the nation’s reputation in the global space community.
