ISRO’s Pragyan Rover Dances on Moon’s Surface, Seeks Safe Path Amid Lunar Night Challenges

New Delhi, August 31, 2023: India’s space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), continues to make strides on the Moon’s surface as its Pragyan rover undertakes crucial tasks in search of a safe path to navigate. The rover, along with the Vikram lander, was part of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, and both are working relentlessly to complete experiments before the impending lunar night.

ISRO shared a captivating video of the Pragyan rover being remotely rotated on the Moon’s terrain from the command centre in Bengaluru. The manoeuver aims to identify a route that avoids obstacles like craters and rocks. The space agency expressed its sentiment, stating, “It feels as though a child is playfully frolicking in the yards of Chandamama, while the mother watches affectionately…”

Earlier, Pragyan shared a picture of the Vikram lander captured using its NavCam, marking a significant milestone for the mission. ISRO scientists joyously termed it the “image of the mission.”

In recent updates, Pragyan was rerouted after encountering a crater on its initial path, ensuring a safer journey. Notably, the Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope aboard the rover confirmed the presence of sulphur near the Moon’s South Pole. ISRO revealed the in-situ measurements “unambiguously” detected sulphur and other elements, including aluminium, calcium, iron, chromium, titanium, manganese, silicon, and oxygen.

India’s remarkable achievements in space exploration continue to garner attention. Chandrayaan-3’s successful module touchdown made India the fourth country, after the United States, China, and Russia, to softly land on the Moon’s surface.

Furthermore, the forthcoming Aditya L1 mission, set to launch on Saturday, will observe solar activities and their effects on space weather in real-time, marking another significant leap in India’s space journey.