ISRO captures Pragyan's historical moments, setting India alongside elite lunar explorers.
India’s space frontier has expanded. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) unveiled captivating visuals of its Pragyan rover embarking on its lunar journey, shortly after its descent from the Chandrayaan 3 mission’s Vikram lander. On August 23, as the mission made its inaugural landing near the Moon’s uncharted south pole, Pragyan gracefully navigated its way from the lander, imprinting its inaugural tracks on the silvery lunar terrain.
Pioneering Exploration Awaits
This nimble, 60-pound six-wheeler is poised to chart territories previously untouched by spacecraft. Its primary task? Harnessing its navigation cameras to relay vivid images of its surroundings back to Earth. Positioned at a maximum distance of 500 meters from its parent lander, ISRO’s directives will guide Pragyan’s explorations.
Pragyan’s design factors in the unpredictable lunar landscape. Should it confront minor rock formations or other impediments, its sophisticated suspension can flexibly adjust up to 50 millimeters, ensuring smooth navigation, as per Bloomberg insights.
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India Joins an Elite Lunar Club
With Pragyan’s successful deployment, India celebrates its entry as the second nation boasting an active lunar rover, a title previously exclusive to China with its Yutu-2 from the Chang’e 4 mission, stationed on the Moon’s elusive far side. Yet, there’s a stark contrast in longevity. While the Yutu-2 rover has been beaming data since early 2019, following China’s pioneering lunar far-side landing, Pragyan’s mission is shorter-lived. ISRO anticipates its operation to span a single lunar day, equivalent to 14 Earth days.
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