Chandrayaan-3 Lander Tool Now Acts as a Signpost in the Lunar South Pole Region

Chandrayaan-3 Lander Tool (LRA):

The LRA, or Laser Retroreflector Array from NASA, on Chandrayaan-3 is a complex gadget that plays a crucial role in space communication. This sophisticated instrument, embedded on the Vikram lander, consists of eight corner-cube retroreflectors strategically arranged on a support structure. Now, here’s where it gets intriguing – the LRA doesn’t actively transmit signals but, rather, waits to burst forth with reflected laser beams when contacted by orbiting spacecraft.

“The Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA) on the Chandrayaan-3 lander has begun serving as a fiducial point points (precisely located markers for reference) on the moon. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) achieved a laser range measurement using the LRA by successfully detecting signals reflected by it on December 12, 2023. The ranging utilized the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) on the LRO. The observation occurred during lunar night time, with the LRO ascending to the east of Chandrayaan-3.”-ISRO

photo credit: ISRO(Indian Space Research Organization)

NASA Spacecraft Establishes Contact with India’s Chandrayaan-3 Lander on the Moon:

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft recently snapped intriguing images of the Moon’s surface, specifically capturing the landing site of India’s Chandrayaan-3.NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) took pictures of the spot where India’s Chandrayaan-3 landed on the Moon. Chandrayaan-3, launched by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), landed on August 23, 2023. The landing happened around 600 kilometers away from the Moon’s South Pole. The LRO, like a space camera, captured images of this historic landing site.

NASA stated that On December 12, 2023, at 3 p.m. EST, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) directed its laser altimeter tool towards Vikram. Vikram, stationed approximately 62 miles (100 kilometers) from LRO near the Manzinus crater in the moon’s south pole region,

received laser pulses from LRO. Following the orbiter’s detection of reflected light from a small NASA retroreflector on Vikram, scientists at

NASA were thrilled to confirm the success of their method.

In a monumental display of global collaboration, NASA orchestrated the integration of the Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA) onto the Vikram lander, a feat accomplished with the combined efforts of international partners. This intricate contraption boasts an arrangement of eight corner-cube retroreflectors artfully mounted on a hemispherical support structure.

Chandrayaan-3