India is overjoyed as the Chandrayaan-3 rover rolls onto the surface of the moon.

Reuters, NEW DELHI, August 24 - The moon rover of India's Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft was ready for fresh challenges as it left the spacecraft on Thursday to start exploring the lunar south pole and carrying out experiments.

India became the first nation to accomplish this feat on Wednesday when the spacecraft successfully touched down on the moon's unexplored south pole, just days after Russia's Luna-25 failed in a related mission.

After an unsuccessful effort in 2019, the lander's smooth, perfect touchdown triggered widespread jubilation and celebration in the nation with the largest population. The historic landing was lauded by the media as India's greatest scientific achievement.

S. Somanath, the head of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), said the lander and the rover were in good shape and "both are working very well," but the tests had not yet begun.

"Everything is happening as planned. The ISRO said on X, formerly Twitter, that "all systems are normal." The start of Rover mobility operations.

The "Pragyan" rover is equipped with two instruments for element and chemical composition research as well as a robotic course planning exercise for upcoming exploration.

In Hindi and Sanskrit, Chandrayaan is translated as "moon vehicle". The rover's solar-powered equipment is designed to last for two weeks, or one lunar day, during which time it should continue to operate.

IMPOSSIBLE TROUBLES

According to Somanath, ISRO will encounter "many issues" on the moon's surface for the first time, namely lunar dust and temperatures that could harm moving parts.

The working parts and machinery "may become caught in the dust there. He told the CNN News 18 TV channel that it "can get into the moving parts and jam them, the bearings of the system may not work, and the motors may not work."

Since there is no air on the moon, lunar dust, which is distinct from that found on earth's surface, may adhere to the rover's components and affect how it functions.

The scientist said, "All this causes issues in those mechanisms...so let's see how it goes." We are exploring because we must face it. What's the fun in doing it if everything is known?

It cost around 6.15 billion rupees ($75 million) to complete India's second moon landing attempt. A successful orbiter was deployed by Chandrayaan-2 in 2019 but its lander crashed.

Its water ice, or frozen water, is sought for because it could prove to be a source of energy, oxygen, and drinking water for upcoming expeditions, but the moon's rocky south pole makes landing there difficult.

CELEBRATIONS

On Wednesday, viewers from all over the nation tuned in to watch the landing, with roughly 7 million people only watching the YouTube live broadcast.

Places of faith performed prayers, and schools hosted live screenings for pupils.

The landing is viewed as a significant source of national pride for India in addition to strengthening its position as a space power and its reputation for cost-competitive space engineering.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed that since Wednesday, he has received congratulations from everyone and that the world views the successful landing as a feat not just of one nation but of all of humanity.

At the BRICS conference in Johannesburg on Thursday, Modi praised Indian scientists, saying, "It is a matter of pride."

Indian media used banner headlines such as "India lights up the dark side of the moon," "India goes where no nation has gone before," and "The moon is Indian."

The Times of India editorialized that "Lunar landing is the most significant Indian scientific achievement."

"There is one reason why India is currently in a position to gain from a surge in interest in basic sciences: