Chandrayaan Rover

Description

The Pragyan rover is a lightweight, six-wheeled lunar surface mobility platform developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It represents a miniaturised approach to planetary exploration, utilising a rocker-bogie suspension system to traverse uneven terrain. The vehicle is designed to facilitate in-situ chemical analysis and geological mapping of the lunar regolith while maintaining a direct data link to its primary landing craft. This system is exclusively procured and operated by the Indian government for the Chandrayaan programme. The primary operator is the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network. Successive iterations have been deployed via the Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3 missions, with the latter achieving a successful landing and deployment near the lunar south pole. The hardware serves as a technology demonstrator for indigenous robotic mobility in extreme thermal environments. The Aerospace Garage identifies thermal survival and power management during the lunar night as the primary operational risks, as the current configuration is not rated for multi-lunar-day longevity. Before acquisition or partnership, the desk would verify the telemetry handshake protocols between the rover and the Vikram lander. We would also confirm the specific radiation hardening standards applied to the onboard APXS and LIBS instruments to ensure data integrity over the mission duration.