ISRO chief S Somanath explains why Chandrayaan 3 landed on the Moon's South Pole, what Pragyan Rover will do

ISRO and India created history when Chandrayaan 3 landed around the south pole of the Moon. With the landing of the Vikram lander, India became the fourth country in the world to land on the moon, and the only country so far to do so at the lunar south pole.

Landing on the lunar south pole is what has set the Chandrayaan missions apart. Many space agencies have tried to land on the lunar south pole for a variety of reasons. However, all barring India have been unsuccess so far.

ISRO Chief S Somanath, has now revealed why the Moon’s south pole is important to the scientific community, and why did Chandrayaan 3 land there.

#WATCH | ISRO chief S Somanath on why ISRO chose the South Pole of the moon for Chandrayaan-3’s landing; says, “We have gone closer to the South Pole which is 70 degrees almost. The South Pole has a specific advantage with respect to being less illuminated by the sun. There is a… pic.twitter.com/hpEV2MMcav

— ANI (@ANI) August 24, 2023

Why Chandrayaan 3 landed on Moon’s South Pole
Speaking to ANI, Somanath revealed that India’s Chandrayaan 3 was closest to the south pole, at almost 70 degrees, and what advantages the Vikram lander’s position had.

“We have gone closer to the South Pole which is 70 degrees almost. The South Pole has a specific advantage with respect to being less illuminated by the sun,” he said. “There is a potential to have more scientific content from that area, in terms of retention of water below the sub-surface, along with elemental composition and electrical activities on the surface of the moon. It would be more dominant there, that it would be around the Moon’s equator.

He also explained why scientists around the world are so keen on exploring the lunar south pole. “Scientists who are working on the moon showed a lot of interest in the South Pole because ultimately human beings want to go & create colonies and then travel beyond,” he said.

“So the best place is something we are looking for & the South Pole has the potential to be that,” he added.

How Pragyan Rover will carry out its mission
Somanath also revealed what the plan will be for Pragyan Rover. Apart from conducting its studies and data collection, the Rover will also traverse the Moon’s South Pole. “We will do a robotic path-finding exercise, which will be very important for future explorations.”

#WATCH | ISRO chief S Somanath says, “Pragyan Rover has two instruments both are related to elemental composition findings on the moon as well as chemical compositions…Moreover, it will do the roving over the surface. We will also do a robotic path planning exercise which is… pic.twitter.com/MhnuuuUXB7

— ANI (@ANI) August 24, 2023

He went on to add, that all the data from the Lander and Rover will give us more data and help us better understand the lunar surface.

He also explained how Pragyan will carry out its studies. “Pragyan Rover has two instruments both are related to elemental composition findings on the moon as well as chemical compositions. One is based on laser and the other on alpha particles,” he explained

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