Massive Feat For Chandrayaan-3's Vikram Lander, With 'Hop' Soft Landing Again, ISRO Inches Towards 'Human' Mission - Watch

New Delhi: Chandrayaan-3's lander, named 'Vikram,' has once again accomplished a successful landing on the lunar surface as part of a hop experiment, according to an announcement by ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation). ISRO shared a video of the soft landing, proudly stating, "Vikram soft-landed on the Moon again!"

During this maneuver, Vikram, following the commanded instructions, elevated itself by approximately 40 cm, precisely as anticipated, before landing safely. It returned to a location situated just 30-40 cm from its initial landing spot on August 23.

ISRO declared, "Vikram Lander exceeded its mission objectives and successfully underwent a hop experiment," in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Highlighting the significance of this hop experiment, ISRO explained that it serves as a crucial step in advancing technology for future sample return and human missions. The ability to execute soft landings and launch spacecraft multiple times is essential for ensuring the safe return of astronauts to Earth in future missions.

ISRO also provided an update on the health of the Vikram lander, confirming that all systems performed nominally and remained in good health throughout the experiment.

During the experiment, various components, including the Ramp, ChaSTE, and ILSA, were folded and redeployed successfully.

Chandrayaan-3 Mission:
Vikram soft-landed on  again!

Vikram Lander exceeded its mission objectives. It successfully underwent a hop experiment.

On command, it fired the engines, elevated itself by about 40 cm as expected and landed safely at a distance of 30 – 40 cm away.… pic.twitter.com/T63t3MVUvI — ISRO (@isro) September 4, 2023

The Chandrayaan-3 mission achieved a successful soft landing near the Moon's south pole on August 23, marking a historic moment as India became the first country to achieve this feat.

The successful repetition of the landing by Vikram underscores India's growing capabilities in lunar exploration and contributes to advancing the technology required for future ambitious space missions.