ISRO's Vikram Lander 'hops' on lunar surface, exceeds mission objectives on Moon | Watch

In a remarkable achievement for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the Vikram Lander of the Chandrayaan-3 mission has not only met but exceeded its mission objectives on the Moon. The lander recently completed a crucial hop experiment with resounding success, reaffirming India's prowess in lunar exploration.

"Vikram soft-landed on Moon again. Vikram Lander of Chandrayaan-3 exceeded its mission objectives on the Moon. It successfully underwent a hop experiment," ISRO said in a statement on Monday.

As part of the experiment, the Vikram Lander, situated on the lunar surface, was commanded to fire its engines. In response, it gracefully elevated itself by approximately 40 centimetres, precisely as anticipated, before safely landing just 30 to 40 centimetres away from its initial position. "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," ISRO said.

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 importance of this achievement cannot be overstated. The flawless execution of the "hop" manoeuvre is a critical step towards the future of lunar exploration, particularly concerning sample return and human missions. By demonstrating its ability to manoeuvre on the Moon's surface, the Vikram Lander has paved the way for more ambitious objectives and advanced scientific endeavours, igniting enthusiasm for upcoming missions.

Notably, all systems on the Vikram Lander performed nominally during the experiment, indicating their robust health and reliability. Additionally, the various instruments and equipment, including the Ramp (a deployable ramp for rover egress), ChaSTE (Chandra Surface Thermophysical Experiment), and ILSA (Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity), were folded back and successfully redeployed after the experiment.

"All systems performed nominally and are healthy. Deployed Ramp, ChaSTE and ILSA were folded back and redeployed successfully after the experiment," the space agency said.