India switched off its moon rover, the first craft to reach the lunar south pole, after it completed its two-week assignment conducting experiments.
The Pragyan rover from the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft was “set into Sleep mode” but with batteries charged and receiver on, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
India embarked on an extraordinary lunar exploration journey as it deployed a rover on the Moon’s surface, a remarkable achievement following its historic landing of a craft near the largely uncharted lunar south pole.
This rover, aptly named Pragyan, which means “Wisdom” in Sanskrit, made its way out of the lander, marking a significant milestone in India’s cost-effective yet ambitious space program.
The successful touchdown of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, often referred to as “Mooncraft-3,” occurred mere days after a Russian lander tragically crashed in the same lunar region. This accomplishment comes after a setback four years ago when India’s previous lunar mission faced failure during its final descent.
India’s space program has been steadily matching the achievements of established spacefaring nations, and Chandrayaan-3 has captured the nation’s collective imagination since its launch nearly six weeks ago. Politicians conducted Hindu prayer rituals to bestow blessings upon the mission, while schoolchildren closely followed the live broadcasts of its descent in classrooms.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed this lunar landing as a triumph for all of humanity, emphasizing its significance as a feat achieved by only the United States, Russia, and China until now.
Despite taking longer to reach the Moon compared to the Apollo missions of the 1960s and 1970s, Chandrayaan-3, launched on a less powerful rocket, successfully completed its month-long journey after orbiting Earth several times to gain the required speed.
India’s space program, known for its cost-effectiveness, has grown significantly since its first lunar probe mission in 2008. Chandrayaan-3, with a budget of $74.6 million, showcases India’s ability to achieve remarkable feats within a limited budget.
This ability is attributed to India’s practice of adapting existing technology and its abundant pool of highly skilled engineers who earn