Anurag Kumar
Several hours after the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) published the first image of the Vikram lander resting on the moon, the navigation cameras of the Pragyan rover captured a series of images of the lander’s companion. These images were captured by the Indian space agency today at 11 a.m., when the rover had traveled approximately 15 meters.
ISRO accompanied the visuals with the following text in a social media post on platform X: “India’s Majesty knows no bounds! Once more, fellow traveler Pragyan takes a Snap of Vikram! This iconic photograph was shot today around 11 a.m. IST from approximately 15 meters away.”
At ISRO’s Space Applications Centre in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, the NavCam data is processed.
The Pragyan rover’s front sections are equipped with two navigation cameras. It was created by Laboratory for Electro-Optical Systems (LEOS) and is reportedly one of the finest cameras placed on the moon.
LEOS, one of the essential divisions of ISRO, is responsible for the design, development, and production of Attitude Sensors for all LEO, GEO, and interplanetary missions, as well as the development and delivery of Optical Systems for remote sensing and meteorological payloads.
Where is the Chandrayaan 3’s Pragyan rover presently?
ISRO has provided the coordinates of the Chandrayaan 3 spacecraft alongside the image. It is located at 69.373 S and 32.319 E, which is close to the 4 km x 2.4 km landing site at 69.367621 S and 32.348126 E that was planned by the Indian space agency.
Vikram lander’s probes seen in the image
The image depicts Chandra’s Surface Thermo-physical Experiment (ChaSTE) probe and the Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) probe, both of which were deployed on the lunar surface by the Vikram lander.
The ILSA sensor is intended to measure seismic activity around the landing site, revealing the composition of the lunar crust and mantle.
In contrast, ChaSTE is tasked with measuring the thermal properties of the lunar surface in the vicinity of the polar regions. Through the use of the thermal sensor, ISRO has already revealed the temperature profile of the moon, revealing a significant temperature difference between the surface (approximately 55 degrees Celsius) and a depth of 8 centimeters (-10 degrees Celsius).
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Vikram lander is also equipped with LASER Retroreflector Array (LRA) and Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive ionosphere and Atmosphere (RAMBHA) to measure the near-surface plasma (ions and electrons) density and its variations over time.
