Chandrayaan-3 - Landmark Lunar Expedition: India Unveils Fresh Lunar Surface Photos

New Delhi, 07 Aug, (VNI) India's latest lunar mission has achieved a successful lift-off, marking a significant milestone in its space exploration journey. This mission, known as Chandrayaan-3, follows the country's first Moon mission back in 2008. During that groundbreaking expedition, water molecules were discovered on the desolate lunar surface, and it was established that the Moon possesses an atmosphere during daylight.

Chandrayaan-2, launched in July 2019, had mixed results. While the orbiter continues its lunar observations to this day, the lander rover failed to make a smooth landing and crashed during touchdown.

Now, Chandrayaan-3, comprising an orbiter, lander, and rover, has embarked on its journey. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) carefully analyzed the data from the previous mission's mishap and conducted simulation exercises to address any issues. Chandrayaan-3 weighs approximately 3,900 kg and comes with a price tag of 6.1 billion rupees ($75 million; £58 million).

The lander, affectionately named Vikram after ISRO's founder, weighs about 1,500 kg and houses the rover Pragyaan, the Sanskrit word for wisdom, weighing 26kg.

With the craft now in lunar orbit, scientists will gradually reduce the rocket's speed to ensure a gentle landing for Vikram. Intricate maneuvers will be executed to place the craft over the lunar poles and achieve a soft landing in the Moon's South Pole region on 23 August.

Once safely landed, the six-wheeled rover will embark on its mission, exploring the Moon's surface, and collecting vital data and images for transmission back to Earth. Equipped with five instruments, the rover will focus on studying the physical characteristics of the Moon's surface, the nearby atmosphere, and tectonic activity beneath the surface. There is great anticipation among scientists that this mission may uncover new and significant findings.

The South Pole of the Moon remains largely unexplored, as a substantial portion of its surface area remains in shadow. Scientists believe there is a possibility of water in these permanently shadowed areas, making this region of particular interest for the mission