India’s Pragyan Rover Encounters Massive Crater On Moon, Was It Saved?

New Delhi: In a heart-stopping turn of events, India’s Pragyan rover has skillfully maneuvered its way out of a precarious encounter with a massive four-meter crater on the Moon’s surface. This daring feat unfolded as the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) took swift action to reroute the rover to safety.

Monday afternoon saw ISRO’s Twitter account come alive with news of the rover’s incredible escape. Pragyan, the six-wheeled wonder, not only identified the looming crater but managed to position itself at a secure three-meter distance from the perilous edge. Swift measures were taken to chart a safer trajectory for the solar-powered rover.

As Pragyan embarks on its journey through this largely uncharted lunar region, it promises to unlock mysteries and transmit invaluable scientific data and captivating images over the next two weeks.

With only ten days remaining for the lunar day to conclude, Nilesh M Desai, Director of the Space Applications Centre (SAC), has voiced urgency. The Chandrayaan-3’s Pragyan rover is now engaged in a “race against time.” ISRO scientists are in a determined pursuit to cover maximal ground across the unexplored South pole region utilizing the rover’s six wheels.

Desai emphasized that while two primary objectives of the moon mission, soft landing, and rover movement, have been achieved, the mission’s third crucial objective is currently in progress.

Chandrayaan-3 Mission:

On August 27, 2023, the Rover came across a 4-meter diameter crater positioned 3 meters ahead of its location.
The Rover was commanded to retrace the path.

It’s now safely heading on a new path.#Chandrayaan_3#Ch3 pic.twitter.com/QfOmqDYvSF

— ISRO (@isro) August 28, 2023

Sunday witnessed a significant breakthrough as ISRO declared the Chandrayaan-3 mission’s lander module successfully conducting a series of experiments and efficiently transmitting results back to the headquarters.

The space agency has also shared a temperature variation graph depicting lunar surface conditions with depth. This data, collected by the ChaSTE payload aboard Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander module, is crucial for understanding lunar thermal dynamics.

Notably, India achieved a historic milestone on August 23 by successfully landing the Chandrayaan-3 lander module on the Moon’s South pole. With this remarkable feat, India joins an elite group of nations – the US, China, and Russia – that have left their footprints on the lunar canvas.

The saga of India’s lunar exploration continues to capture the world’s imagination, reaffirming the nation’s prowess in space exploration.

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