Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) reported on Monday that the Chandrayaan-3 rover Pragyaan discovered a 4-meter-diameter crater on the lunar surface 3 metres in front of its position yesterday.
While posting the photographs on X (previously Twitter), the space agency stated: “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.”
The rover is presently securely moving along a new course, according to ISRO. The Chandrayaan-3 mission’s three objectives, including the demonstration of a safe and gentle landing on the lunar surface and the demonstration of rover wandering on the moon, were completed, according to ISRO earlier on Sunday.
For the first time in the history of space research, the Chandrayaan-3 measured the temperature change in the soil up to 10 cm below the surface near the south pole of the moon.
ISRO published a graph showing the fluctuation in soil temperature on the moon at various depths. “ChaSTE (Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment) measures the temperature profile of the lunar topsoil around the pole, to understand the thermal behaviour of the moon’s surface. It has a temperature probe equipped with a controlled penetration mechanism capable of reaching a depth of 10 cm beneath the surface. The probe is fitted with 10 individual temperature sensors,” it added.
The space agency has previously released images showing the Pragyan rover exploring the area around the Chandrayaan-3 landing site, known as the “Shiv Shakti” Point. Additionally, it spread out over the Moon’s surface for a distance of 8 metres.
