Pragyan rover roams around Shiv Shakti Point in pursuit of lunar secrets at the South Pole. Twitter/@isro

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on August 26 released a video showing the Pragyan rover roaming around Shiv Shakti point, the touchdown site of lander Vikram, on the lunar surface.  

Taking to social media platform X, formerly called Twitter, ISRO said, “Pragyan rover roams around Shiv Shakti Point in pursuit of lunar secrets at the South Pole!”

This comes hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the touchdown spot of the Vikram lander on the lunar surface would from now onwards be known as the ‘Shiv Shakti’ point. He also said that August 23, when the Chandrayaan-3 mission became successful, will be now known as National Space Day.

A visibly emotional Mr. Modi addressed scientists at the ISRO’s command centre in Bengaluru, who were involved in the Chandrayaan-3 mission and lauded them for their efforts.”

• ISRO on August 26 released a video showing the Pragyan rover roaming around Shiv Shakti point, the touchdown site of lander Vikram, on the lunar surface.  
• This comes hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the touchdown spot of the Vikram lander on the lunar surface would from now onwards be known as the ‘Shiv Shakti’ point.
• A visibly emotional Mr. Modi addressed scientists at the ISRO’s command centre in Bengaluru, who were involved in the Chandrayaan-3 mission and lauded them for their efforts.

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File picture of President Droupadi Murmu.
| Photo Credit: ANI

President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday congratulated the ISRO over the successful deployment of the Chandrayaan 3’s Pragyan Rover.

The deployment took place a few hours after the successful landing of the Lander Module. The Rover was inside the belly of the Lander Module.

“I once again congratulate the ISRO team and all fellow citizens for successful deployment of Pragyan-rover from inside Vikram-lander. Its rolling out a few hours after the landing of Vikram marked the success of yet another stage of Chandrayan 3. I look forward with excitement, alongside my fellow citizens and scientists to the information and analyses that Pragyan will acquire and enrich our understanding of the moon,” Ms. Murmu posted on X social media platform on Thursday.

Though there was no official word from ISRO on August 23 about the deployment of Pragyan, its roll out took place a few hours after the successful landing.

ISRO is yet to officially release any images of the rollout of the Rover or its deployment on the lunar surface. However on social media there have been images of the Pragyan coming out of the Lander Module.

The Rover will carry out in-situ chemical analysis of the lunar surface during the course of its mobility.

“The Pragyan rover may come out in the next few hours or it may take one day also to come out depending on the conditions,” ISRO Chairman S. Somanath told reporters after the soft landing on August 23.

Also Read | On the moon, over the moon

He said that once out, the rover would carry out two important experiments. It has two payloads — the LASER Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) and the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS). The objectives of the LIBS are to conduct qualitative and quantitative elemental analysis and to derive the chemical composition and infer mineralogical composition to further our understanding of the lunar surface.

The APXS will determine the elemental composition of lunar soil and rocks around the landing site.

• The deployment of the Chandrayaan 3’s Pragyan Rover took place a few hours after the successful landing of the Vikram Lander Module. The Rover was inside the belly of the Lander Module.
• ISRO is yet to officially release any images of the rollout of the Rover or its deployment on the lunar surface.
• The Rover will carry out in-situ chemical analysis of the lunar surface during the course of its mobility.