Chandrayaan-3: ISRO shares video of Pragyan rover frolicking on moon

The rover along with the Vikram lander touched down on the lunar south pole on August 23

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on August 31 shared a fresh video of the Pragyan rover on the Moon being rotated in search of a safe route. “It feels as though a child is playfully frolicking in the yards of Chandamama, while the mother watches affectionately. Isn't it?” the space agency said.

The rover along with the Vikram lander touched down on the lunar south pole on August 23. It is scheduled to be at the lunar south pole for 2 weeks since its touch down, which is equal to one Lunar day.

The space agency had recently released data of the temperature profile of the lunar surface. Chandrayaan-3 has also detected the presence of many elements on the Moon and picked up signals confirming the presence of Sulphur. The rover's data collection and experiments could also help determine if there is oxygen and hydrogen on the moon.

Exploration

The ChaSTE payload onboard Vikram Lander measures the temperature profile of the lunar topsoil around the pole, to understand the thermal behaviour of the moon's surface. It has a temperature probe equipped with a controlled penetration mechanism capable of reaching a depth of 10 cm beneath the surface. "The probe is fitted with 10 individual temperature sensors," according to ISRO.

Earlier, the space agency had said all the payloads of the Chandrayaan-3 mission are performing normally. "Chandrayaan-3 Mission: Of the 3 mission objectives, demonstration of a safe and soft landing on the lunar surface is accomplished. Demonstration of Rover roving on the moon is accomplished. Conducting in-situ scientific experiments is underway. All payloads are performing normally," ISRO said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

After Chandrayaan-3’s historic touchdown on the moon, ISRO is launching Aditya-L1, India’s first space-based solar observatory to study the Sun. Aditya-L1 will be launched atop an XL-PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) rocket, from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, on September 2, at 11:50 am IST.

Aditya-L1 will reach its destination, the Lagrange point 1 (L1), about four months after launch. It will perform scientific experiments for five years.