Pragyan Rover Spots 4M Diameter Crater On Moon, Changes Path

New Delhi: The Pragyan rover, which has been exploring the Moon’s surface since rolling out of Vikram lander four days ago, faced an obstacle which led to an alteration in its path.

Having negotiated a potential problem, Pragyan is currently moving ‘safely’ on its new path.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) reported on Monday that Pragyan encountered a 4-meter diameter crater on lunar surface on August 27.

Pragyan, which moves on six wheels and has two navigation cameras serving as its eyes, spotted the obstacle three metres ahead of its location, prompting an immediate change in its course.

“On August 27, 2023, the Rover came across a 4-meter diameter crater positioned 3 meters ahead of its location. The Rover was commanded to retrace the path. It’s now safely heading on a new path,” ISRO tweeted along with photos of the crater and new path.

India’s lunar mission Chandrayaan-3 made history on August 23 by successfully landing on the unexplored south polar region of the Moon.

The rover, which has 14 days from landing date to complete its exploration on Moon.

It had earlier traversed a lunar crater with a depth of around 100 mm, instilling confidence in ISRO control room, which continues to guide and monitor the rover’s movement on lunar surface.