By – Shubhendra Singh Rajawat
On August 23, India made a significant advancement when the Chandrayaan-3 lander module successfully touched down on the South Pole of the moon.
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) reported on Monday that the Chandrayaan-3 rover Pragyaan discovered a 4-meter-diameter crater on the lunar surface 3 meters in front of its position yesterday.
A 4-meter-diameter crater that was 3 meters ahead of the Rover’s position was discovered on August 27, 2023, according to the space agency, which shared the photographs on X (previously Twitter). The order to turn around was given to the Rover. It’s now moving safely in a new direction.
The rover is presently safely moving down a new path, according to ISRO. The Chandrayaan-3 mission’s three objectives, including the demonstration of a safe and soft landing on the lunar surface and the demonstration of rover wandering on the moon, were completed, according to ISRO earlier on Sunday.
Furthermore, it stated that all of the payloads are operating normally while the in-situ scientific experiments are ongoing.
For the first time in the history of space science, the Chandrayaan-3 measured the temperature change in the soil up to 10 cm below the surface at the south pole of the moon.
ISRO published a graph showing the fluctuation in soil temperature on the moon at various depths. “To better understand the thermal behavior of the lunar surface, ChaSTE (Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment) examines the temperature profile of the lunar topsoil around the pole. It has a temperature probe with a controlled penetration mechanism that can pierce the surface to a depth of 10 cm. Ten separate temperature sensors have been installed on the probe, it claimed.
The space agency has previously released images showing the Pragyan rover exploring the area around the Chandrayaan-3 landing site, known as the “Shiv Shakti” Point. Additionally, it spread out over the Moon’s surface for a distance of 8 meters.
Images of the Pragyan rover investigating the “Shiv Shakti” Point, which is the area surrounding the Chandrayaan-3 landing site, have already been made public by the space agency. It also covered an area of the Moon’s surface that was 8 meters wide.
Overall, India became the fourth nation to make a successful landing on the moon, following the US, China, and Russia.