Vikram lander makes soft-landing on Moon again, successfully undergoes hop test: ISRO

Vikram soft-landed on moon again, says ISRO. Exceeded mission objectives. Hop test successful; engines fired, elevated 40 cm, landed 30-40 cm away. Importance: kick-start for future sample return & human missions. All systems healthy. Deployed Ramp, ChaSTE & ILSA folded back & redeployed. India 4th to touch lunar surface, 1st to reach south pole.

ISRO on Monday said the Vikram lander of Chandrayaan-3 successfully underwent a hop test when it made the soft-landing again on the lunar surface.

On command it (Vikram lander) fired the engines, elevated itself by about 40 cm as expected and landed safely at a distance of 30 to 40 cm away, ISRO said in an update on 'X'.

Noting that the Vikram lander exceeded its mission objectives, ISRO said the importance of the exercise was that this 'kick-start' enthuses future sample return and human missions.

"Vikram soft-landed on the moon, 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," ISRO said in a post.

"Importance?: This 'kick-start' enthuses future sample return and human missions! All systems performed nominally and are healthy. Deployed Ramp, ChaSTE and ILSA were folded back and redeployed successfully after the experiment," the space agency added.

India scripted history by soft-landing the Vikram lander of Chandrayaan-3 on the lunar surface on August 23.

India became the fourth country to touch the lunar surface and first to ever reach the south pole of the moon.