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Tuesday December 24, 2024

India's Chandrayaan-3 in trouble? Pragyan rover encounters huge crater on moon

Chandrayaan-3's Pragyan is in a "race against time" to complete its mission, says Isro

By Web Desk
August 28, 2023
Moon crator image captured by Chandrayaan-3s Pragyan rover. — Isro
Moon crator image captured by Chandrayaan-3's Pragyan rover. — Isro

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has confirmed that Chandrayaan-3 Pragyan rover faced a huge crater on the moon and was finally directed to reach a safe spot.

The rover had found the crater three meters from the edge and had been routed to a safer path, the Indian Space Research Organisation, or ISRO, tweeted on Monday afternoon, reported NDTV.

Over the course of its two-week journey, the six-wheeled, solar-powered rover will wander over the largely uncharted area and send pictures and scientific data.

Nilesh M. Desai, director of Space Applications Centre (SAC), stated on Sunday that the Chandrayaan-3 rover module Pragyan, moving on the surface of the moon, is in a "race against time" and that the Isro scientists are working to cover a maximum distance of the uncharted south pole through the six-wheeled rover. There are only 10 days left until the completion of one lunar day.

The three main goals of the moon mission, according to him, were to gently land on the moon, manoeuvre the Pragyan rover, and collect science data using payloads connected to the Vikram lander and rover.

"Our two main objectives have been accomplished successfully, but our third objective is underway," the scientist said.

The Chandrayaan-3 mission's lander module has successfully started carrying out its planned set of experiments, according to a statement from the Isro earlier on Sunday.

A graph depicting the temperature change on the lunar surface as depth increases has also been made public by the space agency.

A temperature probe with a controlled penetration mechanism that can penetrate 10 cm below the surface is part of the payload.

On August 23, India made a huge step forward when the Chandrayaan-3 lander module successfully touched down on the moon's south pole, making it the first nation to accomplish the legendary accomplishment.

The country became the fourth – after the US, China, and Russia – to have successfully landed on the moon.