Following the triumphant touchdown of ISRO’s Lander Module as part of Chandrayaan-3, India has made its mark on the lunar surface. This milestone achievement establishes India as the pioneering nation to achieve a landing near the Moon’s south pole.
The Lander Module (LM) of the Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) third lunar mission Chandrayaan-3, which was launched on July 14, achieved a successful landing on the south pole of the moon’s surface on August 23, making India the fourth country to make a soft landing on the lunar surface after USSR, the US and China.
While congratulating the team of scientists at ISRO, India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi said, “ The success of India's lunar mission transcends national boundaries. Our principle of unity as one Earth, one family, and one future is echoing worldwide…The lunar mission embodies this human-centric spirit, making this accomplishment a victory for all of humanity.”
At exactly 6:03 pm, the lander touched the lunar surface and an ecstatic celebration began at the Mission Operations Complex (MOX) at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking, and Command Network (ISTRAC), Bengaluru.
Following the landing of the Lander Module of Chandrayaan-3, the lander successfully deployed the Rover, Pragyaan which will conduct on-site chemical analyses of the lunar landscape as it navigates its path. With a mission duration spanning one lunar day equivalent to 14 Earth days, both the Lander and the Rover are equipped with scientific instruments to facilitate experiments on the lunar terrain.
After Touchdown, Pragyaan to initiate its 14-day activities on the lunar surface
With the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3, the rover module, Pragyaan is ready to initiate its 14-day mission, dedicated to fulfilling the objectives outlined by ISRO scientists. Conducting experiments aimed at deepening our understanding of the lunar surface is among its responsibilities.
As per ISRO's statement, the Lander and Rover are equipped with a total of five scientific payloads, all securely situated within the Lander Module (LM).
The Rover’s Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) is to be used to play an important role as it will be used to do the analysis of the chemical composition, providing insights into the mineralogical aspects of the lunar terrain, to further enhance the understanding of the lunar surface.
The Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) is designated to determine the elemental composition of the lunar soil and around the Moon’s landing site.
ISRO has highlighted that the deployment of the Rover Pragyaan for on-site scientific experiments marks a significant advancement in lunar explorations, reaching unparalleled levels of achievement.