India will experience history at 6:04 pm on Wednesday when Chandrayaan-3’s Lander Module (LM) is slated to touch down close to the Moon’s south pole. Pragyan’s success will symbolically represent India’s presence on the moon by leaving impressions of the ISRO and the country’s flag, which features the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath, on the lunar surface.
The logo impressions on the rover are displayed in a curtain-raiser movie by ISRO which was released ahead of the launch of the mission. The logo will be imprinted by Pragyan’s rear wheels as it moves across the moon’s surface.
After the soft landing, the rover will use one of the lander’s side panels as a ramp to drop from the belly onto the Moon’s surface. A lunar day (or around 14 days on Earth) will be the mission life for the lander and rover as they explore the area. ISRO representatives do not rule out the chance that they could regenerate for a subsequent lunar day, though.
The south pole region of the Moon will also be investigated because places that are permanently under shadow may contain water. Four scientific instruments on Chandrayaan-3 will investigate moon quakes, how the moon’s surface enables heat to pass through it, the plasma environment near the moon’s surface, and the precise distance between the moon and the earth.
Beyond its scientific goals, the rover will also leave behind impressions of the ISRO and the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath, which serves as India’s national emblem.
The countrymen and the world is looking forward to the successful landing of the Chandrayaan 3 which was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on July 14 this year.
While this is India’s third lunar mission and second attempt at a soft landing on the moon, the mission entered the lunar orbit one month after launch and the lander and rover are scheduled to touch down on the lunar surface at 06:04 pm on August 23.
