NASA spots crash site and debris of India’s lost lander
Scientists and amateurs alike have spent months combing through images from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter looking for the remains of India’s moon lander – and that search has paid off.
On 2 December, the team that runs the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) instrument released images taken on 11 November that show how the spacecraft has changed the surface of the moon. Imaging experts have spotted extensive evidence of the crash, including both debris from the craft and places where the collision seems to have stirred up the Moon’s regolith.
According to a NASA statement, the largest pieces of debris are each about 1.5 metres (4.5 metres) across. The Vikram lander measured 2.5 metres (8.3 feet) in its longest dimension, according to materials released by India’s space agency before the landing attempt.