ISRO Releases New Images Ahead of India’s National Space Day

In anticipation of India’s first National Space Day, which also commemorates the landing anniversary of Chandrayaan-3, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has unveiled new images captured by the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover. These images offer a unique glimpse into the mission’s key moments, including Pragyan’s initial steps on the lunar surface.

Capturing Key Moments on the Moon

ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) Spaceflight, a platform that shares the latest updates from ISRO, highlighted that these images were taken by the Lander Imager (LI) and Rover Imager (RI) aboard Vikram. One of the most notable images, captured by the RI camera, shows Pragyan’s attempt to imprint India’s national emblem on the lunar surface. A post on X (formerly Twitter) mentioned that although this attempt was not entirely successful, it provides a fascinating visual record of the mission. The texture of the lunar soil near the Moon’s South Pole, where the landing occurred, differed from initial expectations, which affected the clarity of the emblem’s imprint.

Insights from the Chandrayaan-3 Mission

The images are part of a broader set of data from the Chandrayaan-3 mission, which has offered new insights into the Moon’s composition. Notably, an analysis published in the journal Nature supports the theory that the Moon was once covered by a ‘magma ocean’. This conclusion was drawn from measurements of the lunar soil, taken by the Pragyan rover along a 100-metre track on the Moon’s surface.

The Legacy of Chandrayaan-3

The Pragyan rover, deployed by the Vikram lander, has provided invaluable data since its soft landing near the Moon’s South Pole on August 23, in the year 2023. These new images and findings continue to enhance our understanding of the Moon, highlighting the success and ongoing impact of India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission.