India’s Moon Rover Completes Historic Mission in Lunar South Pole
NEW DELHI – India’s space agency announced that its moon rover, the Pragyan rover, has completed its two-week assignment conducting experiments in the lunar south pole. The rover, part of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft, has now been switched off and placed into sleep mode, with batteries charged and its receiver on.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) shared the update on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Hoping for a successful awakening for another set of assignments! Else, it will forever stay there as India’s lunar ambassador.”
By successfully landing on the moon, India has joined the ranks of the United States, China, and the former Soviet Union. However, India has gone a step further by reaching the rugged south pole of the moon, a feat that came shortly after Russia’s Luna-25 crashed during a similar attempt.
The textbook touchdown of Chandrayaan-3, after a failed attempt in 2019, was met with widespread celebration in India. The media has hailed the landing as the country’s greatest scientific achievement.
During its mission, the Pragyan rover traveled over 100 meters (330 feet) and confirmed the presence of sulphur, iron, oxygen, and other elements on the moon, according to ISRO.
India’s focus now shifts to another space probe that was launched on Saturday, aimed at studying the sun. The probe will observe solar winds that can cause disturbances on Earth, commonly seen as auroras.
“The satellite is healthy” and in Earth’s orbit, noted ISRO on Sunday, as it prepares for its 1.5 million-kilometer (930,000-mile) journey.
India’s advancements in space exploration have received international recognition, and the country continues to push boundaries in the field of scientific research. As India looks toward the stars, the world eagerly awaits the next chapter in the nation’s remarkable space journey.
Reporting by Arpan Chaturvedi; Editing by William Mallard