Indian Moon Rover Pragyan Captures the First Image of Its Lander at Lunar South Pole

In a historic achievement, India's Pragyan moon rover has captured the first-ever photograph of its companion, the Vikram lander, during their ongoing Chandrayaan-3 mission. The mission is pioneering exploration at the lunar south pole.

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) released two monochrome images of the Vikram lander, showcasing its propulsive legs against the lunar terrain. The rover's image of the lander was captured using the Navigation Camera onboard Pragyan (NavCam).

This achievement marks the midpoint of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, which began with the successful landing of the Pragyan rover and the Vikram lander on August 23rd. Since then, Pragyan has been actively exploring the lunar surface, conducting scientific experiments, and sending back images and videos of its activities.

India has become the fourth country in the world to successfully land a spacecraft on the lunar surface. The previous successful lunar landings were achieved by the United States, the former Soviet Union, and China.

Chandrayaan-3's focus on the southern polar region holds immense scientific potential. The region's permanently shadowed craters are believed to contain substantial reserves of frozen water. This discovery could be a game-changer for future lunar missions, as this water could potentially be extracted and utilized to produce vital resources like drinking water and oxygen.