India’s Chandrayaan 3 lunar mission achieved a landmark milestone – a successful soft landing on the lunar surface – representing a significant achievement in the country’s space exploration. This historic moment occurred on August 23, when the Chandrayaan 3 lunar module made the first ever soft landing on the south pole of the moon.
Confirmation of this success was obtained thanks to the onboard camera of the module, which not only recorded a successful landing, but also transmitted the first image from the descent site. The available image shows the lunar surface, which appears to be relatively flat, with a noticeable shadow cast by one of the lander’s legs.
A more detailed series of photographs showing the rover’s descent from the lander is expected in the coming days. This lunar rover, known as the Pragan, will begin maneuvering exploration of the area around the landing point. The rover and station are designed to operate for about 14 Earth days, the equivalent of one lunar day.
It should be noted that the Chandrayaan-3 mission was implemented with high economic efficiency, the total budget of which was $74 million. Such limited budgetary costs are worth highlighting in the context of a comparison with the funding of missions by space agencies such as NASA and ESA.
The road to this milestone began on July 14, when the Chandrayaan-3 launch vehicle was launched from the Satish Davan Space Center site. After several weeks in lunar orbit, the mission’s lander, named Vikram, successfully separated from the launch vehicle on August 17.
The successful landing on the moon marks India as one of the narrow circle of nations capable of soft landings on the surface of the moon. This prestigious club includes only three states: the USA, China and now India. Note that India stands out as a pioneer with a successful landing in the complex circumpolar region of the Moon.
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