"India's lunar rover Pragyaan is running so fast, what is the new technology?" How does it compare to the Jade Rabbit in China? 》
Author: Whale Detective
On August 23, India successfully achieved its first soft landing on the moon and released its rover Pragyaan to explore the lunar surface. Meanwhile, China's Jade Rabbit lunar rover traveled 972 days on the lunar surface, but only traveled 118.9 meters. This data has sparked a discussion among netizens, does India's lunar rover have any new technology?
The Pragyaan rover successfully landed near the south pole of the moon on August 23 and weighs about 26 kilograms and is about half a human tall. By comparison, China's Jade Rabbit 2 lunar rover weighs 140 kilograms and is about 1.5 meters long. An important problem with the Pragyaan rover is the inability to spend the night on the moon, because the lunar temperature difference between day and night is as high as 300 ° C, and the night temperature is as low as -180 ° C, Pragyaan does not have a radioactive isotope heating system like the Jade Rabbit, so it cannot withstand the cold. So, Pragyaan only has a lifespan of about 14 days.
Despite some limitations, Pragyaan has achieved remarkable results in a short period of time. It passed the crater smoothly and traveled more than 10 meters at a speed of 1 centimeter per second. This is an excellent performance for a light lunar rover with only a 14-day lifespan.
However, to understand the differences between the two lunar rovers, we need to consider the differences in their design philosophies and mission goals. China's Jade Rabbit lunar rover has all-round scientific exploration functions, and is committed to a comprehensive and systematic exploration of the lunar's geology, topography, minerals and water ice resources. To achieve this, the Jade Rabbit needs to travel long distances on the moon and carry a variety of important scientific detection instruments.
In contrast, Pragyaan's mission aims to detect the distribution of water ice resources in the Aitken Basin region of the south pole of the moon to provide a basis for future lunar base siting. It landed in a flat, smooth area at the south pole of the moon, which reduced travel resistance and avoided excessive detours.
Therefore, the speed indicators of lunar rovers do not directly represent their overall superiority or disadvantage. China's Jade Rabbit takes into account the long-term integrated scientific research mission and complex working environment of the lunar rover, and pays more attention to reliability, adaptability and durability. India's Pragyaan, on the other hand, focuses on speed of action and specific short-term survey targets. Each has its own focus and different considerations.
In any case, India's Pragyaan lunar rover successfully achieved a soft landing, which is an important breakthrough in India's space industry, which will inspire more outstanding lunar rovers in the future. In this regard, Indian Prime Minister Modi said on social platforms that the day Pragyaan's successful landing is a historic day in India's space industry.
The achievements of the Jade Rabbit lunar rover are equally remarkable. Not only did it travel in a complex lunar environment, it also faced technical difficulties and unexpected situations. However, China's astronauts have successfully overcome these challenges with their tenacious fighting spirit and excellent technical strength.
In short, Indian and Chinese lunar rovers have differences in design concepts and mission goals, and each has its own advantages. Competition is an integral part of scientific progress, and these achievements will provide valuable lessons and implications for future deep space exploration. Let's look forward to more breakthroughs and progress together!
