The Indian space program reported that the Pragyan lunar rover, part of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, made its first surface journey on the Moon after being delivered to the terrain by the Vikram lander. ISRO shared the update through its official communications platform on X, confirming the rover’s deployment and initial mobilization on the lunar surface.
ISRO details indicate Pragyan exited the lander and activated its solar panels, beginning a controlled exploration of the Moon’s terrain. The rover then proceeded to carry out a preliminary survey, moving across the dust-free area illuminated by sunlight and testing its mobility systems as part of the mission’s early surface operations.
According to ISRO, the lengthy preparation for Pragyan’s landing was necessary to ensure a stable descent. During the Vikram module’s descent, operators waited for lunar dust to settle fully. The Moon’s weaker gravity compared with Earth means particulate matter can take longer to dissipate, a factor that influenced the timing and sequencing of the landing and subsequent rollout of the rover.
The initial research area assigned to Pragyan spans a radius of about 500 meters. This operational envelope is intended to allow the rover to conduct a comprehensive geological survey and to test the performance of its onboard science payloads while collecting data for future missions.
Earlier ISRO releases reported that Vikram transmitted the first post-landing image from the Moon. The downward-facing landing camera captured a view of the lunar surface, the shadow cast by the lander’s support structure, and nearby regolith. Operators noted that the chosen landing region appeared relatively flat, helping to ensure a stable platform for initial measurements and equipment checks while enabling visual confirmation of the landing geometry.
In other, unrelated developments, speculative reports from various sources described ambitious experiments such as perpetual motion ideas in satellite technology. These statements should be viewed as unverified and not part of the Chandrayaan-3 mission narrative, which remains focused on lunar exploration and scientific data collection in partnership with international researchers and space agencies.