NASA reveals stunning image of Chandrayaan-3 Vikram Lander's Moon landing site

Photo Credit: NASA

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Captures Chandrayaan-3's Landing Site

Photo Credit: NASA

"@NASA's LRO spacecraft recently imaged the Chandrayaan-3 lander on the Moon’s surface. The ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) Chandrayaan-3 touched down on Aug 23, 2023, about 600 kilometers from the Moon’s South Pole,” NASA said on X. (This is the actual NASA image. Check the part within the square.)

Photo Credit: ISRO

The photograph shows the Chandrayaan-3 lander, Vikram, as a dark spot with a bright ring around it, as captured by NASA's LRO.

Photo Credit: ISRO

The LRO captured this image with a 42-degree slew angle, just four days after Vikram's touchdown. Vikram landed near the moon’s south pole on August 23.

Photo Credit: NASA

NASA identified the "bright halo around the vehicle" as a result of the rocket plume interacting with the fine-grained lunar regolith (soil).

Photo Credit: Pixabay

LRO is managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre in Maryland and has collected invaluable data about the moon since its launch in 2009.

Photo Credit: ISRO

The LRO's camera, which captured the Chandrayaan-3 image, is managed and operated by Arizona State University.

Photo Credit: ISRO

After completing their initial experiments, the Chandrayaan-3 lander and rover, Pragyan, have been put into sleep mode by ISRO. There is hope for their revival during the next lunar sunrise around September 22.

Photo Credit: NASA

The collaboration between ISRO and NASA continues to provide us with stunning insights into the moon's mysteries. Stay tuned for more discoveries from the lunar frontier.