During its mission on the Moon’s surface, the Chandrayaan-3 Rover encountered an obstacle on Sunday in the form of a 4-meter diameter crater. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) reported that the crater was located 3 meters ahead of the Rover’s current location. To address the situation, ISRO commanded the Rover to retrace its path and navigate around the crater. The space agency confirmed that the Rover was now safely heading on a new path to continue its mission on the lunar surface.
Last week, India achieved a significant milestone by successfully landing Chandrayaan-3 on the South Pole of the Moon. This achievement marked India as the first country to successfully land on the far side of the lunar surface.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was away for the 15th Summit, visited the ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network Mission Control Complex on Saturday. He emphasized the successful expansion of the ‘Make in India’ initiative to reach the lunar landscape.
During his visit, PM Modi expressed his happiness and restlessness, saying, “Today, I am feeling a different level of happiness…such occasions are very rare…this time, I was so restless…I was in South Africa but my mind was with you.”
PM Modi also announced that India will observe 23 August as ‘National Space Day’ to commemorate the successful touchdown of the Chandrayaan-3 mission’s lander.
ISRO is closely monitoring and sharing regular updates about the Chandrayaan-3 mission, as it is currently within a crucial 14-day window. ISRO Chairman S Somanath provided reassurance about the mission’s progress, stating, “Everything is working very well. Chandrayaan3, the lander, the rover is very healthy and all the five instruments on board have been switched on. And it’s giving beautiful data now.” He mentioned that the mission is set to complete all experiments with its full capability of various modes before September 3.
Somanath further explained that the mission involves testing different modes, and ISRO is excited about the detailed insights it is gaining about the Moon’s surface. The mission continues to be a source of pride and accomplishment for India’s space agency.