Chandrayaan-3: Pragyan Rover Roams Around Shiv Shakti Point In Pursuit Of Lunar Secrets

Chennai: ISRO on Saturday evening said the third Lunar Mission Chandryaaan-3 achieved three mission objectives.

In a social media post, ISRO said "of the 3 mission objectives, Demonstration of a Safe and Soft Landing on the Lunar Surface is accomplished"

"Demonstration of Rover roving on the moon is accomplished", it said.

"Conducting in-situ scientific experiments is underway. All payloads are performing normally", ISRO added.

Meanwhile, ISRO also released a video of Rover roaming around the Shiv Shakti point in pursuit of Lunar secrets at the South Pole region of the moon. The place where Chandrayaan-3 has landed on Moon has been named Shiv Shakti point by PM Modi.

"Pragyan rover roams around Shiv Shakti Point in pursuit of lunar secrets at the South Pole (with a moon picture)!” it said.

Rover traversed a distance of eight metres

The Rover, deployed by the Lander Module (LM), carried on board the Chandrayaan-3, has successfully traversed a distance of eight metres.

All the planned Rover movements were verified and all the payloads in Propulsion Module (PM), LM and Rover, were performing nominally, ISRO said.

The Rover has successfully traversed a distance of about 8 meters", it added.

It said Rover payloads LIBS and APXS are turned ON and all payloads on PM, LM and Rover are performing nominally.

ISRO also said a two-segment ramp facilitated the roll-down of the rover and a solar panel enabled the rover to generate power, while releasing a video on how the rapid deployment of the ramp and solar panel took place, prior to the roll down of the rover and heading towards sunlight.

Mission proved India's capability for cost-effective space missions

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh, while speaking at an interactive meet of intellectuals, prominent citizens and media persons in Indore, said Chandrayaan-3 has proved India's capability for cost-effective Space missions.

He said, India’s space missions are designed to be cost effective.

The Minister further elaborated saying, “The Russian moon mission, that was unsuccessful, cost Rs.16,000 crore, and our (Chandrayaan-3) mission cost just around Rs.600 crore. Consider, Hollywood films based on Moon & Space Missions cost over Rs.600 crore".

We have learnt to compensate for cost through our skills, said Dr Jitendra Singh, who is also the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, and Atomic Energy.

Chandrayaan made use of gravitational forces

“Questions will arise, how? We made use of gravitational forces, the spacecraft made about 20 orbits of the earth, each rising in parabola, until it escaped and was captured in the Moon's gravity and it made 70-80 revolutions of the moon before landing at the designated spot,” he said.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, in order to involve the private sector in R&D efforts, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi came out with the "Anusandhan National Research Foundation" Bill, passed by the Lok Sabha in the last session of Parliament, with a budget of Rs 50,000 crore over five years.

“When it is implemented fully, it will be a game-changer. We are planning a unique Public Private Partnership (PPP) entity for which Rs 36,000 Cr of the research funding is to come from the private sector, mostly industry whereas the Government will put Rs 14,000 crore,” he said.