The Indian probe Chandrayaan-3 sent the first image it took after landing at the south pole of the moon on Wednesday (23). Indian space agency ISRO posted the images on X, formerly known as Twitter, shortly after the spacecraft touched down on the lunar surface.
The lander’s camera took a set of four images as it approached the lunar surface. In another post, ISRO brought in a landscape image of our natural satellite, taken shortly after landing. They added, “Chandrayaan-3 selected a relatively flat region on the lunar surface.”
Among the main objectives of Chandrayaan-3 are a safe landing on the lunar surface, demonstration of operations of the small Pragyan rover, and carrying out science experiments. After completing the first of them with flying colours, Vikram’s unit must release Bragyan soon. The pair is expected to work during a lunar day, that is, for about two weeks.
During this period, they will study soil composition, among other science tasks. At the same time, the thrust module will point its “eyes” toward Earth, collecting data on the polarization of light reflecting off our planet. The findings could help scientists search for exoplanets with similar signatures.
The Chandrayaan-3 result came just days after Russia lost its Luna-25 mission, which was also sent to attempt a landing in the region. However, a malfunction in its engine caused the ship to crash into the surface of the moon.
