--- title: "India Prevents Moon Rover From Falling Into Hole" description: "India's small, six-wheeled lunar rover recently encountered an obstacle on the Moon's surface in the form of a ten-foot crater." date: "2023-08-29" modified: "2023-08-29" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/india-moon-rover-hole" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Moon" - "Space" tags: - "craters" - "india" - "moon" - "the digest" --- # India Prevents Moon Rover From Falling Into Hole ![India's small, six-wheeled lunar rover recently encountered an obstacle on the Moon's surface in the form of a ten-foot crater.]() *\Image: ISRO\* ## Close Call Last week, India became [only the fourth country]() to ever land on the Moon, with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) proudly announcing its Vikram lander had safely touched down near the Moon's south pole. It was a treacherous journey from lunar orbit, which many other countries haven't survived — like Russia, whose Luna-25 spacecraft [crashed into the surface]() just a week prior. Yet the lander and its much smaller rover companion Pragyaan, which [rolled down a ramp]() to the surface below shortly after touchdown, are still in a hazardous off-world environment. In fact, the six-wheeled rover recently encountered an obstacle in the form of a ten-foot crater that seemingly threatened to swallow it whole. Fortunately, ground control spotted the danger before it was too late. "On August 27, 2023, the Rover came across a 4-meter diameter crater positioned 3 meters ahead of its location," ISRO wrote in a [tweet](). "The Rover was commanded to retrace the path. It's now safely heading on a new path." https://twitter.com/isro/status/1696117102393081997?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1696117102393081997%7Ctwgr%5E78d3eb75d39e9e80902e55ae894a44d65f05d3d2%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fin.mashable.com%2Fspace%2F59137%2Fclose-call-indias-moon-rover-just-avoided-a-treacherous-crater ## Hole Milk The update also featured two glorious black-and-white images, one showing the deep and shadowed chasm that seemingly blocks the angled rays of the Sun. A second image shows Pragyaan's rover tracks. Other than having India join the exclusive club of countries that have landed on the Moon — which also includes the US, the Soviet Union, and China — the country's ongoing Chandrayaan-3 mission also represents the first successful landing near the lunar south pole. That's particularly exciting, as scientists suspect the region to be rich in water ice, which could make it a key site for future efforts to establish a long term presence on the lunar surface. In short, let's hope the scientists at the ISRO keep their eyes peeled. Having Pragyaan tumble into a crater could make for a premature end to a groundbreaking mission. **More on the mission:** *[Amazing Footage Shows Indian Rover Ramping Down to the Lunar Surface]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()