Chandrayaan 3 highlights: 'All planned Rover movements verified’, says ISRO

The Pragyan Rover has rolled over the surface of the moon for a distance of eight meters, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said in an update on the Chandrayaan-3 mission on Friday.

"All planned Rover movements have been verified. The Rover has successfully traversed a distance of about 8 meters. Rover payloads LIBS and APXS are turned ON. All payloads on the propulsion module, lander module, and rover are performing nominally," ISRO said in a tweet.

When Chandrayan-3 touched down on the surface of the moon, Abdullah Suhail, a young man from Lucknow was jubilant and celebrating with his team. Suhail, a data scientist working with the High Resolution Data Processing Division of ISRO was among the chosen few to select a landing spot for Chandrayaan-3. Read More

Chandrayaan 3 live updates: Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Friday felicitated ISRO Chairman S Somanath and his team for the successful Chandrayaan-3 mission. "The Governor lauded Somanath and his dedicated team for their relentless pursuit of advancing space exploration and research. Their unwavering commitment has not only brought pride to the nation but also showcases India's prowess on the global space stage," the Raj Bhavan said in a statement.

Chandrayaan 3, India's third lunar mission, achieved a historic milestone by successfully landing on the moon's far side after a month-long journey through space. India became the first nation to position a rover near the southern pole, with the landing velocity well within test limits. Read More

Two days after the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) successfully landed lunar spacecraft Chandrayaan-3 near the moon’s south pole, making India the first country in the world to achieve this feat, the space agency released the first images of the rover (Pragyan). Read More

Chandrayaan 3 live updates: Union Science and Technology Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Friday said the estimated cost of the Chandrayaan-3 project at ₹600 crore was lower than the budget of some Hollywood films made on the themes of space and moon.

“All planned Rover movements have been verified. The Rover has successfully traversed a distance of about 8 meters. Rover payloads LIBS and APXS are turned ON. All payloads on the propulsion module, lander module, and rover are performing nominally,” ISRO posts on X.

Chandrayaan 3 live updates: While the historic success of Chandrayaan-3 is celebrated by Indians across the world, two untrumpeted engineering colleges in Kerala are basking in the glory of the key role played by some of their alumni in the crucial Moon mission. Many of the space scientists who contributed to the successful mission had graduated from the College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram (CET) here, while ISRO Chief S Somanath is a product of Thangal Kunju Musaliar College of Engineering (TKMCE) nearby Kollam.

Chandrayaan 3 live updates: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Bengaluru on Saturday morning to congratulate the team ISRO on the successful Chandrayaan-3 mission to the Moon. He is slated to spend an hour at the ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) and greet scientists of the national space agency headquartered here.

As rover Pragyan is now walking on the lunar surface coming out of the Vikram lander, Isro in a newly released video shared the mechanisms which helped Pragyan roll out from Vikram's belly soon after Chandrayaan 3 soft landed on the south pole of the moon on August 23. Read More

Chandrayaan 3 live updates: Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Friday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission and welcomed his invitation to visit India. “Congratulations on conquering the South Pole of the Moon," said the Greek PM.

Chandrayaan 3 live updates: The Haryana Assembly on Friday passed a resolution hailing the landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon but the ruling BJP and the opposition sparred over who gets credit for the mission's success.

“The landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the moon is just the beginning of the much more ambitious next chapter of the Indian space programme that is set to study the sun, and put Indians in space on an Indian platform under the Gaganyaan programme,” Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientist Ningthoujam Raghu Singh said.

“We are now focusing on Mission Gaganyaan, which envisages demonstration of human spaceflight capability by launching crew of three members to an orbit of 400 km for a three-day mission, and bring them back safely to earth, by landing in Indian sea waters,” he said. 

Chandrayaan 3 mission objectives are to demonstrate a safe and soft landing on the lunar surface, roving on the Moon, and conduct in-situ scientific experiments.

"Glad to have met President Katerina Sakellaropoulou in Athens. We discussed several issues which will strengthen the India-Greece friendship. We also discussed ways to boost sustainable development. She congratulated India on the success of Chandrayaan-3," PM Modi said in a X post.

Larsen & Toubro and Hindustan Aeronautics are among companies vetted to potentially bid in India's efforts to privatise its small satellite launch rocket, a source told Reuters, as the government seeks more investment in the booming space market.

Read a detailed report on Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV)

"Congratulations to the people of India for the great achievement of landing on the Moon. We are just thrilled today," a woman from Canada said at Times Square.

"It is a matter of pride not only for India but for the whole world..., " said Prem Bhandari, prominent diaspora leader and volunteer of Jaipur Foot USA, Rajasthan Association of North America (RANA) and Rescuing Every Distressed Indian Overseas.

Taking India to an elite club of nations, the Chandryaan-3 rover on Wednesday successfully performed a soft landing on the lunar South Pole.

A social media user shares an adorable video of a child playing with Chandrayaan 3 Lego toy.

Our understanding of the solar system and the moon has expanded significantly since the 1960s and 70s, says Somak Raychaudhury, an eminent astrophysicist currently serving as Vice-Chancellor at Ashoka University.

He explains, technological progress, including faster data transmission rates and advanced computing, along with miniaturization, has revolutionized space exploration, rendering it more cost-effective. The participation of private entities, including notable figures like Elon Musk, has catalyzed ambitious undertakings.

Read his full interview on Chandryaan 3

According to Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, the launch of the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) and the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) onboard the H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 47 (H-IIA F47) has been changed due to a bad weather forecast. The updated launch schedule is as follows:

Launch date: August 28

Launch Time: 5:56am IST 

Reserved Launch Period: August 29 through September 15, 2023

Launch site: Yoshinobu Launch Complex at the JAXA Tanegashima Space Center

From ISRO chief breaking down in 2019 to celebrations across the country today, India waited for four years to script history and join the elite club of a select few countries who succeeded in reaching the moon. The scenes today were in contrast to what was witnessed in 2019 when Chandrayaan-2 mission failed.

Read our detailed copy on: Vikram lander Moon touchdown

“We say shoot for the moon when we want to strive for the impossible. For a millennia, India's greatest poets have gazed up at the moon and wondered at the unfathomable distance between us and the moon,” B20 Chair N Chandrasekaran said on Friday.

Chandrasekaran further said, "But today we see the moon in a new light. Last week, millions and millions of Indians and those around the world witnessed the landing either on the television or online. For them the moon has changed from a symbol of aspiration to one of achievement."

Now, he said, "every night a simple glance upwards will be a reminder of what we as a nation have accomplished and more of what we are capable of achieving in the future."

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who is affectionately called Mama (maternal uncle), posts on X: 

""Chanda Mama Ghar Ke"

#PragyanRover has started roaming in his maternal uncle's house and history is the witness that maternal uncle never sends his nephews and nieces empty-handed. I have full faith ‍ that Chanda Mama will also leave no stone unturned for the sake of his nephew.

Say with pride ..." that we are Indians."

..Hail India.."