Chandrayaan-3 s Vikram lander now serving as Moon s South Pole location marker: The recent achievement of transmitting and reflecting a laser beam between ISRO s Vikram lander and NASA s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has significant implications for future space missions. This successful experiment opens up opportunities for accurately locating targets on the moon s surface.
The space agency had stated that it would try to re-establish communication with both devices on September 22 after more than two-week-long lunar night.
After a successful execution of Chandrayaan-3 mission, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is poised to launch Aditya-L1, India s next space mission focused on studying the Sun, in September 2023. It aims to gain insights into solar dynamics, coronal heating, and space weather by placing a spacecraft in a halo orbit around the Lagrange point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system.
The Pragyan rover, designed for this mission, showcases India s national emblem, the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath, and the iconic ISRO logo. These imprints are embedded on the lunar terrain by the rover s rear wheels, which could leave a symbol of India s presence on the Moon’s South Pole for a long time to come.