Chandrayaan-3: As dust settles, Pragyan rover prepares to explore Moon
India's space agency, ISRO, has successfully landed its Vikram lander on the moon's south pole, making it the first craft to achieve this feat.
India took a walk on the moon, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) announced on Thursday, as the Pragyan rover, which emerged from the belly of the Vikram lander on Wednesday night, was set to roll across the lunar surface hours after the latter created history by becoming the first craft to land on the moon’s south pole, propelling India into the top echelons of space powers.
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Isro chief S Somanath said scientists were about to start the next phase of the moon mission, which, over the course of the next fortnight, could revolutionise global understanding of the seismology, soil profile, mineral composition and atmosphere of the unchartered southern pole of the moon, and even lay the foundation of future lunar missions.
“Made in India, made for the Moon! The Chandrayaan-3 rover ramped down from the lander and India took a walk on the moon!” India’s space agency posted on X.
Even as they pored over computers to calibrate experiments, scientists at the Isro control room revelled in the adulation that poured in from around the globe over Chandrayaan-3’s perfect touchdown at 6.03pm on Wednesday. The soft landing completed an extraordinary arc of scientific perseverance made possible by the automated choreography of 12 big and small rocket engines executed to clinical precision. It also mended the nation’s heartbreak at the crash of the mooncraft’s previous iteration in 2019.
The tests are expected to open new vistas for the country’s frugal space programme in the lucrative market of space exploration and commerce because they will confirm the presence of water at the lunar sough pole. If proven, this breakthrough can be crucial for drinking, breathing and rocket fuel resources to advance human space exploration deeper into the solar system.
“The south polar region has the advantage of being less illuminated by the sun, and as a result of that there is a potential of having better scientific content, including retention of water below the sub-surface,” Somanath said.
“We have chosen the best location that can give us an advantage. The next 14 days will set the stage for all future lunar space missions. Ultimately, we might even send a man on the moon and establish colonies there,” he added.
Somanath explained that several factors were studied before the rover could roll down. Accordingly, the flaps of the lander opened at 10pm but the roll-out of the rover commenced around 1.30am on Thursday. For most of the day, Pragyan recharged its batteries via the solar panels in preparation for its moonwalk.
“There are several factors that have to be considered before the rover can be released. The first factor is to study the temperature levels, the incline and the dust. It took us some time to sort out the initial hiccups before we could roll out the rover,” Somanath said.
A senior Isro scientist, who did not wish to be identified because of the sensitivity of the mission, said that the lack of an atmosphere and limited gravity made it take longer for lunar dust to settle. “The health of the equipment could have been damaged if we immediately rolled out the rover while the craft was still surrounded by a cloud of dust,” the scientist added.
Hours after the lander touched down on the moon, two sets of ramps were deployed -- first the external ramp opened and then another ramp to support the rover was extended. A wire connection with the lander to ensure its stability before landing was also snapped once it achieved stable ground. It will now progress to complete its mission objectives in the coming days, scientists said.
Isro announced on Thursday evening that three payloads — Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA), Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive ionosphere and Atmosphere (RAMBHA);and Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) on the Vikram lander module — were turned on, and the mobility operations of the Pragyan rover commenced.
ChaSTE will measure the thermal conductivity and temperature, ILSA will probe the seismic activity around the landing site and RAMBHA will collate a plasma profile of the moon. “All activities are on schedule...all systems are normal,” the agency posted.
Somanath said that the experiments will give the Indian space community the advantage of culling out data that could shape humankind’s understanding of the lunar surface and its composition “The landing site was chosen because the area had the potential to establish colonies which would eventually help travel beyond the moon,” he said.
Pragyan has on board devices two spectrometers, devices that can analyse the composition of samples on the lunar surface.
The textbook touchdown on Wednesday evening came mere days after Russia — a space veteran — crashed its mooncraft while attempting to reach the same territory. At an estimated budget of $75 million, Chandrayaan-3 was built at a fraction of the cost of not only previous American lunar missions but also this summer’s cinema blockbusters Oppenheimer and Barbie.The Russian Luna-25 had cost $200 million
“Congratulations India,” X owner Elon Musk posted. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu called PM Narendra Modi to congratulate him. “It’s an incredible feat for all the scientists and engineers involved,” US vice-president Kamala Harris posted on X. “It is a matter of pride and a pat on the back for Indian scientists,” Modi said at the Brics summit in Johannesburg on Thursday.
The mission heralds a new era for India’s comparatively frugal space programme that is closing on milestones set by space powers such as the US and former USSR, at a fraction of the cost — a testament to the skills of the country’s engineers and scientists who have adapted indigenous technology and devised novel ways to compensate.
Mastery over the technique to land crafts on the Moon will be crucial for the country to conquer a chunk of the burgeoning space exploration market — the next frontier in international economic and military forays. It will also bolster India’s position in international space collaboration.so
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