After the Vikram lander successfully landed on the Moon, the robot Pragyan began the process of leaving the station at 11:13 p.m. on August 23 (Hanoi time).
Simulation of the lander and rover of the Chandrayaan-3 mission. Video: ISRO
At nearly 10am on August 24 (Hanoi time), the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) confirmed on Twitter that the Pragyan robot had left the Vikram lander and begun its journey to explore the lunar surface. "The autonomous robot of the Chandrayaan-3 mission was built in India. The robot descended from the lander and India walked on the Moon," ISRO wrote.
The first image shows the Pragyan rover descending from the Vikram lander. Photo: ISRO
Pragyan is a Hindu name meaning one with great knowledge and wisdom. The robot, about the size of a small German shepherd, is scheduled to collect the first lunar south pole samples in history. Its research could play a key role in understanding how to mine water on the moon, a goal that every nation interested in the celestial body is working toward.
The rover will carry lasers and alpha particle beams to study the composition of the lunar south pole. It will also use scientific instruments called RAMBHA and ILSA to study the atmosphere, and dig up samples to further analyze the composition of the lunar surface. The rover’s lasers will attempt to melt a sample to analyze the gases emitted, which will help learn about the chemical makeup of the lunar south pole, according to the Times of India.
The Pragyan rover weighs 26 kg. It is solar-powered and has an expected mission duration of one lunar day (about 14 Earth days), before weather changes, a dark and cold lunar night sets in, draining its batteries. The rover will work with the Vikram lander to conduct a series of experiments, including spectroscopy analysis of the mineral composition of the lunar surface.
Vikram carries four sets of scientific instruments, including a thermal probe that can penetrate about 10 centimeters into the lunar soil and record the temperature of the soil throughout the lunar day. The lander also has a retroreflector, which is expected to remain in use long after the lander is decommissioned. Meanwhile, the robot Pragyan carries the Laser Emission Spectrometer (LIBS) and the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) to study the lunar soil.
Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander successfully landed near the lunar south pole at 7:34 p.m. on August 23 (Hanoi time). The success of Chandrayaan-3 made India the fourth country in the world to land on the lunar surface, after the Soviet Union, the United States and China. The mission also marked India's emergence as a new space power.
Thu Thao (According to India Today )
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