Chandrayaan-3: Pragyan Rover Successfully Crosses First Obstacle On Moon, Chooses Alternate Route

• Image Credit: Google

• Aug 28, 2023 | Dhupali Das

Landing on the Moon's south polar region on August 23, the Pragyan rover embarked on a daring mission to traverse a lunar crater with...

Digital Desk: In a remarkable accomplishment for India's space exploration endeavors, the Pragyan rover, an integral component of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, has achieved a significant milestone by successfully maneuvering through its first lunar obstacle. The feat not only demonstrates the prowess of India's space capabilities but also signifies a crucial step forward in unlocking the mysteries of the lunar surface.

Landing on the Moon's south polar region on August 23, the Pragyan rover embarked on a daring mission to traverse a lunar crater with a depth of approximately 100 millimeters. This remarkable achievement has sparked a renewed sense of confidence within the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), whose control room diligently guides and monitors the rover's every move across challenging lunar terrains.

The Pragyan rover's navigation isn't entirely autonomous; instead, it is meticulously orchestrated from ISRO's headquarters in Bengaluru. Each step of the rover's journey requires intricate planning and precision execution, involving a complex sequence of actions.

Reports indicate that the rover's route planning necessitates the downloading of onboard navigation camera data to construct a digital elevation model (DEM) on the ground. Subsequently, ISRO's ground and mechanisms team collaborates to determine the optimal path for the rover, after which the corresponding command is uplinked for the rover to follow.

Despite these groundbreaking achievements, the rover encounters operational constraints. Notably, the generation of a DEM is limited to five meters for every image sent by the navigation camera. As a result, the rover's movement is restricted to covering a maximum distance of five meters with each command.

Speaking to TOI, Chandrayaan-3's project director, P Veeramuthuvel, acknowledged that even within this five-meter range, various challenges and obstacles persist. Nevertheless, the Pragyan rover overcame its inaugural obstacle – a lunar crater – providing a sigh of relief to the dedicated ISRO team.

The rover's activities are further impeded by factors such as intermittent telemetry and telecommunications availability and the need for continuous sun tracking. These factors collectively contribute to a turnaround time of approximately five hours between each movement operation. Despite these adversities, the project director remains resolute in his optimism about the rover's trajectory and the prospects of achieving significant outcomes.

Armed with an array of advanced instruments, the Pragyan rover's primary mission involves the thorough study of the Moon's geology and atmosphere. Since being deployed from the lander, the rover has already journeyed a distance of approximately eight meters, showcasing its remarkable mobility and versatility.

The successful negotiation of its maiden lunar obstacle marks a historic juncture in India's ambitious space mission. This achievement not only propels India further into the league of leading spacefaring nations but also paves the way for expanded lunar exploration, offering unprecedented insights into the Moon's enigmatic surface.

As the Pragyan rover continues its mission on the lunar expanse, scientists, engineers, and space enthusiasts across the globe eagerly anticipate the discoveries it will unearth, reshaping our understanding of Earth's nearest celestial neighbour.

Source: India Today