- India’s Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft has captured more incredible moon images as it gears up for an important landing attempt in just a few days.
- Launched on July 14, Chandrayaan-3 aims to achieve India’s first successful moon landing. The lander and rover components have been progressing according to plan so far.
- On August 5, Chandrayaan-3 entered lunar orbit and recently detached from its propulsion module on August 17.
- The spacecraft has been taking numerous pictures during its journey, documenting key moments. For instance, it photographed its released propulsion module, which was shared by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on August 18 through a post on X (formerly Twitter).
- ISRO’s post included a 31-second video compiling images taken by Chandrayaan-3’s landing module. These images mainly depict the moon’s surface and identify several passing craters, like Fabry and Giordano Bruno.
- More images were shared in another X post on the same day, showcasing a 17-second video with photos taken by Chandrayaan-3 on August 15.
- These pictures are part of the preparations for Chandrayaan-3’s landing effort, scheduled for August 23 or 24 near the lunar south pole.
- A successful landing would be a significant achievement for India, as only the U.S., the former Soviet Union, and China have managed to land a probe on the moon so far.
- Notably, no spacecraft has ever landed near the moon’s south pole, an area believed to contain water ice that could support future human settlements.
- It’s worth noting that Russia’s Luna-25 probe might also attempt a south pole landing, potentially by August 21, adding a competitive aspect to these moon exploration efforts.
[…] this place worth visiting is that this was the place where NASA scientists took a picture of the moon’s surface using a 42-inch telescope when NASA was preparing for the Apollo mission. Various small planets were […]