NEW DELHI: On Thursday, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) released a video showing the Pragyan rover rolling out of the Chandrayaan-3 Vikram lander and walking on the lunar surface.
NEW DELHI: India's national emblem finds itself etched onto the moon's surface in the form of the ISRO logo, accompanying the graceful movements of the Pragyan rover. This captivating spectacle was unveiled by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on a recent Thursday.
In a prior display, ISRO treated the world to footage of the Chandrayaan-3 lander, Vikram, making its soft landing on the moon's terrain on August 23. This remarkable sight was captured through the keen lens of Chandrayaan-2's Orbiter High-Resolution Camera.
The Pragyan rover, now an emblem-bearer, showcased the ISRO logo and the national emblem, adorned with the Ashoka Lion Capital of Sarnath, on its rear wheels. As it embarked on its lunar journey, the rover left behind indelible imprints of this emblem.
Once on the lunar surface, both the lander and rover are poised to perform their designated duties for a single lunar day, which interestingly equates to 14 days on Earth.
India achieved a monumental stride on a Wednesday evening, with the triumphant touchdown of the Chandrayaan-3 lander module at the South Pole of the moon. This historic accomplishment not only marks India as the first nation to attain this feat but also effectively concludes the disappointment stemming from the Chandrayaan-2's crash landing four years prior.
In the grand scheme of lunar exploration, India claims the fourth spot, following in the footsteps of the United States, China, and Russia, as a nation that has effectively made a successful lunar landing.
The journey of the spacecraft commenced on July 14 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
The focal aspirations of Chandrayaan-3, India's third lunar mission, revolved around executing a secure and gentle landing on the lunar surface, facilitating rover mobility on the moon's expanse, and conducting on-site scientific experiments.
Regrettably, the unforeseen emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic threw an unexpected spanner in the mission's progress. The stipulated cost for Chandrayaan-3 stands at Rs 250 crores, exclusive of launch vehicle expenses.
The Chandrayaan-2 mission was deemed "partially successful" due to a communication breakdown following a challenging landing. However, ISRO has triumphed this week by reestablishing bilateral communication between the Chandrayaan-3 lander module and its still-orbiting counterpart, the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter.
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