Chandrayaan 3: Pragyan rover travels 15 metres, snaps Vikram lander; ISRO shares fresh visuals

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Chandrayaan 3’s Pragyan rover captures images of the Vikram lander, taken at a distance of 15 meters.

Hours after the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) released the first image of the Vikram lander resting on the moon, the Pragyan rover’s navigation cameras have captured another series of photographs featuring its companion. Shared by the Indian space agency, these pictures were taken today at 11am, when the rover had covered a distance of approximately 15 metres.

In a social media post on platform X, ISRO accompanied the visuals writing, “Beyond Borders, Across Moonscapes: India’s Majesty knows no bounds! Once more, co-traveller Pragyan captures Vikram in a Snap! This iconic snap was taken today around 11 am IST from about 15 m.”

The data collected from the NavCams undergoes processing at ISRO’s Space Applications Centre located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

Pragyan rover has two navigation cameras fitted in the front parts. Developed by Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems (LEOS), it is said to be one of the best cameras put on the lunar surface.

LEOS, one of the vital units of ISRO, deals with the design, development and production of Attitude Sensors for all LEO (Low Earth Orbit) GEO (Geostationary Equatorial Orbit) and interplanetary missions; develops and delivers Optical Systems for remote sensing and meteorological payloads.

Along with the image, ISRO has also shared coordinates of the Chandrayaan 3. It is 69.373 S, 32.319 E, well near the intended landing point of 4 km x 2.4 km at 69.367621 S, 32.348126 E, planned by the Indian space agency.

The image reveals two of Vikram lander’s vital instruments, Chandra’s Surface Thermo-physical Experiment (ChaSTE) probe and the Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) probe, both deployed on the lunar surface.

The ILSA sensor is designed to gauge seismic activities around the landing site, thus outlining the lunar crust and mantle’s structural composition.

On the other hand, ChaSTE is tasked with conducting measurements of the lunar surface’s thermal properties in the vicinity of the polar region. Through the employment of the thermal probe, ISRO has already divulged the moon’s temperature profile, illustrating a marked temperature contrast between the surface (approximately 55 degrees Celsius) and a depth of 8 cm (-10 degrees Celsius).

Vikram lander also has LASER Retroreflector Array (LRA) and Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive ionosphere and Atmosphere (RAMBHA) to understand the dynamics of the moon system and to measure the near-surface plasma (ions and electrons) density and its changes with time, respectively. (HT)