The moon rover of India’s Chandrayaan-3 exited the spacecraft on Thursday morning to begin its exploration of the lunar surface, the country’s space agency said on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
The spacecraft landed on the unexplored south pole of the moon on Wednesday evening, days after Russia’s Luna-25 failed, making India the first country to achieve that feat.
“The Ch-3 Rover ramped down from the Lander and India took a walk on the moon!” the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said in its message.
Executed within a budget of approximately 6.15 billion Indian rupees (equivalent to $74.58 million), this marked India’s second endeavor to achieve a lunar landing. An earlier mission, Chandrayaan-2, managed to position an orbiter successfully; however, its lander experienced a crash.
The term “Chandrayaan” translates to “moon vehicle” in Hindi and Sanskrit.
The lunar region of interest is the demanding south pole due to its reservoir of water ice, which is believed to hold the potential for fuel, oxygen, and drinking water in future missions. Nevertheless, the complex and uneven terrain poses a considerable challenge for landing.
Chandrayaan-3 Mission:
Chandrayaan-3 ROVER:
Made in India 🇮🇳
Made for the MOON🌖!The Ch-3 Rover ramped down from the Lander and
India took a walk on the moon !More updates soon.#Chandrayaan_3#Ch3
— ISRO (@isro) August 24, 2023
