![]() One experiment measured the temperature of the moon’s topsoil at various depths, and ISRO scientist BHM Darukesha told a local news outlet, PTI, that the surface was hotter than expected. Here are the first observations from the ChaSTE payload onboard Vikram Lander.ĬhaSTE (Chandra's Surface Thermophysical Experiment) measures the temperature profile of the lunar topsoil around the pole, to understand the thermal behaviour of the moon's… /VZ1cjWHTnd- ISRO August 27, 2023 The space agency shared sporadic updates on social media, posting first glimpses at various data points gathered by the lander and rover, which managed to travel a total of more than 100 meters (330 feet) across the lunar surface and was able to snap photos of the lander during its trek. The ISRO confirmed that all the instruments were “performing normally” during the mission. The rover is also equipped with a seismometer that attempted to detect quakes within the moon’s interior. They include a laser that can analyze the chemical composition of the moon’s regolith - aiding in the hunt for water ice - and the ultra-thin layer of gases that make up the moon’s exosphere. Together, the lander, which weighs about 1,700 kilograms (3,748 pounds), and the 26-kilogram (57.3-pound) rover are packed with nearly a dozen scientific instruments. Pragyan rover roams around Shiv Shakti Point in pursuit of lunar secrets at the South Pole □! /1g5gQsgrjM- ISRO August 26, 2023 It was released by rolling down a small ramp before setting off “in pursuit of lunar secrets at the South Pole,” the ISRO said on X, the website formerly known as Twitter. The day after landing, the ISRO confirmed that the Chandryaan-3 lander had successfully deployed the six-wheeled lunar rover that had ridden to the surface tucked inside the spacecraft’s body. Standing in sharp contrast to the tense failures of Luna-25, the Chandryaan-3 vehicle almost immediately began dispatching updates on its successes. The Chandrayaan-3 landing in August came mere days after Russia failed in its attempt to put a similar spacecraft, Luna-25, near the moon’s south pole. The Indian Space Research Organization, or ISRO, confirmed on Monday, September 4, that the Chandryaan-3 lunar lander had been put into sleep mode, as the spacecraft isn’t designed to continue collecting scientific data while its landing spot is in the Earth’s shadow, or lunar night.īut the space agency hopes that the lander - and a small six-wheeled rover it deployed - will be reawakened later this month, on September 22. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Arizona State University The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft's dark shadow is visible against a bright halo surrounding the vehicle, which resulted from the rocket plume interacting with the fine-grained regolith (soil). The Chandrayaan-3 lander is captured by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, which is currently in orbit around the moon. “Our tireless scientific efforts will continue in order to develop better understanding of the Universe for the welfare of entire humanity,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on social media September 2, celebrating the Chandrayaan-3 mission and the recent launch of India’s first spacecraft dedicated to studying the sun. More than 70 million people watched online coverage of the landing, and thousands more packed into auditoriums and viewing parties across the country. In India, the Chandryaan-3 mission has been hailed as a point of national pride. The resource could be harvested and converted into drinking water or even rocket fuel for future missions that explore deeper into the cosmos. It also marked the first mission to explore so close to the lunar south pole, a region of key scientific and strategic importance for global space powers because it is believed to be home to deposits of water ice. So far in the 21st Century, only China and India have landed on the moon. The safe touchdown made India only the fourth nation in the world to complete such a feat, following the former Soviet Union, the United States and China. The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft landed on the lunar surface on August 23. For nearly two weeks, the lander carried out technology demonstrations and data collection mainly focused on analyzing the composition of the moon’s soil and super-thin atmosphere. The primary goals of the mission have now been successfully checked off the list, cementing the Chandrayaan-3 lander’s legacy in exploration history. After completing a historic landing on the lunar surface, putting India in the tiny club of countries that have safely placed a spacecraft on the moon, the Chandrayaan-3 lander is now asleep - resting through the 14-day lunar night before mission controllers attempt to reawaken the spacecraft later this month.
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