Chandrayaan-3: 2 of 3 objectives achieved. What’s next

With the touchdown of Vikram lander around the ‘Shiv Shakti’ point, site where the lander landed, on the lunar surface, two out of the three objectives in the Chandrayaan-3 mission was achieved successfully. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientists are confident of achieving more goals with Chandrayaan-3’s success so far.

The three objectives of the mission were: 1. Safe and soft landing on the lunar surface 2. Managed to drive the rover on the surface of the moon and 3. Scientific testing is currently underway on the lunar surface.

With all the payloads functioning normally, ISRO is confident that they will be able to achieve the third objective as well.

Meanwhile, ISRO on Saturday released a video showing the Pragyan rover roaming around Shiv Shaki point on the lunar surface.

Taking to X, ISRO said "Pragyan rover roams around Shiv Shakti Point in pursuit of lunar secrets at the South Pole!"

ISRO chief S. Somanath said that India has the capability to travel to the Moon, Mars and Venus but we need to increase our confidence. "We need more investment and the space sector must develop and by this, the whole nation should develop, that is our mission. We’re ready to fulfill the vision that was given to us by PM Modi," Somanath. 

On Friday, ISRO shared the video of Pragyan rover ramping down the lander on moon's surface.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced that the touchdown point of the Vikram lander will be called 'Shiv Shakti' point from hereafter. Marking the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, National Space Day will be observed on August 23, he said.

Modi was interacting with the ISRO scientists behind the mission in Bengaluru. While speaking at the event, he said that the scientists had taken the Make In India initiative to the Moon.

"I could not stop myself as I was not in the country, but I decided to visit Bengaluru first and meet our scientists...I salute your dedication..I salute your patience...I salute your inspiration," he had said.

The lander landed on the moon on Wednesday 6.04 pm. ISRO had earlier said that Pragyan rover will move half a km around the lander in the next 11 days since the landing.

Up next: Solar mission

With the success of the moon mission, ISRO is gearing up for the country's maiden solar mission Aditya-L1. ISRO chief on Saturday said that the mission will be launched in the first week of September.

"Aditya-L1 satellite is ready. It has reached Sriharikota and is connected to PSLV. The next aim of ISRO and the country is its launch. The launch will be in the first week of September. The date will be announced within two days," Somanath was quoted by ANI.

Aditya-L1 would be the first space-based Indian observatory to study the sun. Named after the sun, the mission aims to provide unprecedented insights into sun's behaviour by placing itself in a halo orbit around the Lagrange point (L1) of the Sun-Earth system.

The spacecraft is equipped with seven payloads designed to evaluate the layers of the sun from photosphere, and chromosphere to the outermost layer.