Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Wednesday (August 23) successfully landed its Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon, becoming the first country in the world to ever reach the Lunar South Pole.
After the dust settled, ISRO prompted its Pragyan rover to roll out of the lander, to begin exploration on the Lunar surface.
The rover will move around to identify the presence of water and ice on the Moon. The water could be a source of oxygen, fuel and water for future moon missions or a more permanent Moon colony.
Although Vikram (lander) and Pragyan (rover) are slated for a mission duration of 1 lunar day (equivalent to 14.75 Earth days), there exists the potential for their extended survival.
Revival of Chandrayaan-3 on the cards: Should the lander and rover endure this harsh lunar night phase, spanning 14.75 Earth days, there remains a chance of revival as the subsequent lunar day arrives, bringing with it the availability of solar power.
ISRO chief S Somanath announced that the Aditya-L1 mission to study the Sun will be most probably launched in the first week of September. Aditya-L1 would be the first space-based Indian observatory to study the Sun.
{{ primary_category.name }}