After the successful soft-landing of the Vikram lander on the Moon’s south pole, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has already made preparations for the next phase. chandrayaan-3 mission Wandering.
At 10 pm, about four hours after the Vikram lander landed, one of its side panels opened to form a ramp for the 20-kg rover, Pragyan. It measures 0.9 × 0.75 × 0.85 meters and has the ISRO logo embossed on its wheels.
In the next 14 days, Pragyan will move at a speed of 1 cm/s on the surface of the Moon to complete its mission.
ISRO said on Thursday morning that the rover has walked on the moon. A post on X (previously Twitter) read, “Chandrayaan-3 Rover: Made in India–Made for the Moon! CH-3 rover lifts off from lander and India walks on the Moon!”
Later, President Draupadi Murmu congratulated ISRO for this achievement.
“Its launch a few hours after Vikram’s landing marks the success of another stage of Chandrayaan-3. I, along with my fellow citizens and scientists, look forward with excitement to the information and analysis that Pragyan will capture and our enriches the understanding. of the moon”, she said.
Lifespan of Pragyan Rover: How Long Will It Roam on the Moon?
In an interview with The Times of India (TOI), ISRO chairman S Somnath said that he hoped it could be increased. They expected both the lander and rover to survive another lunar day, or 14 more Earth days.
Pragyan Rover on the Moon: What Will It Do Next?
Pragyan is carrying two payloads with him. These are the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) and the Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS).
The main objective of the rover is to investigate the composition of the Moon’s atmosphere and surface.
APXS will determine the elemental composition of the lunar soil and rocks around the lunar landing site, such as magnesium, aluminum, silicon, potassium, calcium, titanium and iron.
During the next 14 days, the rover will collect this data and relay it to the lander, which will, in turn, send it to the Chandrayaan-2 satellite and transmit the data to Earth.
What is the name of Pragyan Rover?
The word “Pragyan” is derived from a Sanskrit word meaning “wisdom”.