"NASA's Laser Communication with Chandrayaan-3: Paving the Way for Precise Lunar Landings"

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) successfully pinged India's Chandrayaan-3 mission's Vikram lander on the Moon using a laser instrument, marking a significant achievement in precisely locating targets on the lunar surface. The laser beam was transmitted and reflected between the LRO and the Oreo-sized device on the lander, demonstrating a new technique for determining precise locations on the Moon. The retroreflector on Vikram, developed in partnership between NASA and ISRO, has begun serving as a fiducial point on the Moon, and the successful ranging has opened up possibilities for future lunar missions to utilize retroreflectors for various scientific and exploration applications.