The Vikram Lander is the Landing Module (LM). This lander is responsible for the soft landing on the moon. The Vikram Lander is an important part of India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission, designed to explore the Moon. After landing on the moon, it is responsible for launching the Pragyan rover (a type of lunar exploration rover).
Named after Vikram Sarabhai, a key figure in Indian spaceflight, this vehicle has an important role: it needs to softly land on the Moon and launch the Pragyan rover.
The Vikram Lander is 4 meters high and 2 meters wide and is designed to be durable. It has four legs to ensure a safe landing on the moon. Besides the lander mission, the rover also carries advanced instruments such as a camera, spectrometer and magnetometer, which help gather valuable information about the moon’s properties.
The Vikram Lander was launched on July 14, 2023, and reached lunar orbit on August 5, 2023. It successfully landed on the moon on August 23, 2023, at around 12:32 UTC.
This achievement made India the fourth country ever to land on the moon and the first to do so near the south pole of the moon.
The Vikram lander is now safely on the lunar surface, and the Pragyan Rover, its companion, has successfully deployed. This vehicle is exploring the lunar surface, with a particular focus on locating water ice and other resources that may be important for future space exploration.
Vikram Lander weighs around 1470 kg and generates 1 kilowatt of power. It communicates with the Earth at a speed of 1 megabit per second, and sends valuable data. The lander’s thermal control system maintains the right temperature during cold moon nights. Its propulsion system allowed it to land smoothly on the Moon and move around once on the surface.
The Vikram Lander stands as a testament to the progress India has made in space exploration. The dedicated work of ISRO’s scientists and engineers has led to this historic achievement.
In addition to its technical prowess, the Chandrayaan-3 mission is an inspiration, encouraging future scientists and engineers to aim for the stars and explore the mysteries of space.
This mission demonstrates India’s growing capabilities in space exploration and promises to expand our understanding of the moon and its resources.