NASA's Orbiter 'Pings' ISRO's Chandrayaan-3:
A Milestone in Lunar Exploration
The Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA) on board Vikram was developed by NASA and accommodated on the lander as part of the international collaboration between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
The LRA is an Oreo-sized device that facilitates laser ranging from various directions by any orbiting spacecraft with a reflective field of about 20 degrees. The successful experiment opens the door to a new style of precisely locating targets on the Moon's surface. The LRA on Vikram will continue to serve as a long-term geodetic station and a location marker on the lunar surface, benefitting current and future lunar missions.
These measurements, apart from helping in precise determination of spacecraft's orbital position, will help refine the lunar geodetic frame, revealing insights into the Moon's dynamics, internal structure, and gravitational anomalies.
"NASA’s LRA on Chandrayaan-3’s
Vikram lander will continue to serve as a long-term geodetic station and a
location marker on the lunar surface, benefitting current and future lunar
missions. These measurements, apart from helping in precise determination of
spacecraft’s orbital position, will help refine the lunar geodetic frame,
revealing insights into the Moon's dynamics, internal structure, and
gravitational anomalies." said ISRO in its statement.
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