'Smile Please': ISRO Shares Stunning Image Of Vikram Lander Taken By Chandrayaan-3's Pragyan Rover

NEW DELHI: In yet another mesmerizing moment, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Wednesday shared a striking image of the Vikram Lander taken by the Pragyan Rover of Chandrayaan-3. which is currently on the moon surveying the lunar surface.

The Indian space agency unveiled two enchanting photographs, skillfully taken by the rover, which has been meticulously conducting a series of experiments on the lunar terrain ever since its successful touchdown on August 23. The alluring snapshot was skillfully captured by the Navigation Camera housed within the Rover (NavCam), ISRO noted.

 

Chandrayaan-3 Mission:

Smile, please!

Pragyan Rover clicked an image of Vikram Lander this morning.

The 'image of the mission' was taken by the Navigation Camera onboard the Rover (NavCam).

NavCams for the Chandrayaan-3 Mission are developed by the Laboratory for… pic.twitter.com/Oece2bi6zE — ISRO (@isro) August 30, 2023

 

Marking an impressive stride, ISRO has already disclosed two groundbreaking revelations about the uncharted South Pole of the Moon. This past Sunday, the agency shared its inaugural revelation about the lunar surface's temperature, which surprisingly exceeded the projections of numerous scientists. Additionally, an astonishing temperature variance spanning from -10 degrees to 50 degrees Celsius has been detected on the lunar landscape, a phenomenon unforeseen until now.

Astonishingly, just this Tuesday, ISRO divulged that the rover had successfully identified traces of sulphur at the South Pole and a dedicated quest for hydrogen's presence was officially initiated.

ISRO's preliminary analysis has unveiled the existence of several elements on the lunar expanse, including Aluminum (Al), Sulphur (S), Calcium (Ca), Iron (Fe), Chromium (Cr), and Titanium (Ti). The agency emphasized that further meticulous measurements have exposed the presence of manganese (Mn), silicon (Si), and oxygen (O). The pursuit of comprehending hydrogen's role is now fervently underway.

In the course of its meticulous experiments, the Pragyan Rover encountered its inaugural challenge on Monday as it identified a 4-meter diameter crater situated merely 3 meters ahead of its trajectory. Swift action was taken by ISRO's command centre, which adroitly rerouted the rover onto a safer path.

Nilesh Desai, the Director of ISRO's Space Applications Centre, conveyed on Tuesday that the agency is racing against time to optimize its experiments on the lunar landscape. With the deadline set for September 3, ISRO is making dedicated efforts to maximize its research endeavours. Chandrayaan-3, which softly touched down on August 23, aspired to conduct its scientific pursuits for a span of one lunar day, equivalent to 14 Earth days.

Ever since the inception of Chandrayaan-3's journey from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, ISRO has been consistently updating the world with remarkable strides in its lunar exploration mission.