Chandrayaan-2 Pragyan shows how AI is helping space exploration

Bengaluru: As India's second mission to the moon, Chandrayaan-2, is poised to make a soft landing on the southern surface of the moon in the early hours of Saturday, the artificial intelligence (AI)-powered rover of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), will play a significant role in this mission's success. Christened'Pragyan' (wisdom in Sanskrit), the homegrown solar-powered robotic vehicle that will manoeuvre the lunar surface on six wheels, comprises a Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) from the Laboratory for Electro Optic Systems (LEOS) in Bengaluru to identify elements present near the landing site, and an Alpha Particle Induced X-ray Spectroscope (APIXS) from the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad that will inspect the composition of the elements near the landing site. The AI-powered Pragyan rover, which can communicate only with the Lander, includes a piece of motion technology developed by IIT-Kanpur researchers that will help the rover manoeuvre on the surface of the moon and aid in landing. The algorithm will help the rover trace water and other minerals on the lunar surface, and also send pictures for research and examination. Homegrown Pragyan is simply a case in point that AI has been gathering pace in space exploration over the years.