Pragyan Rover leaves Asoka’s Lion imprints on the Moon with 3D printed aluminium powder wheels

On August 23, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) accomplished the most aspiring journey of the decade by landing the Pragyan rover on the Moon’s South Pole. Asoka’s Lion emblem, which left a mark in the Chandrayaan-3 moon-landing mission strategically placed on the outer surface of the rover’s wheels, has been 3D printed out of AlSi10Mg aluminium powder.

Many small and large manufacturers provided the fundamental support for this major success, and among them was amace Solutions Pvt Ltd, an Additive Manufacturing solutions provider headquartered in Bangalore, India. amace was responsible for the inclusion of the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath on the wheels of the Pragyan rover so that with each roll, the wheels could leave an impression behind on the Moon’s surface.

The talented amace Solutions team worked relentlessly to maintain the standard of the rover wheels, as they must be aligned with space protocols. The company not only looked after the quality of the finished aluminium component, it also ensured that the true vigour of India was reflected through these wheel-prints on the Moon.

The emblem was printed with the help of m4p™ AlSi10Mg aluminium powder supplied by m4p material solutions GmbH, a powder technology and service provider located in Austria and Germany.

Aluminium is one of the most common non-ferrous metals used in space because of its lightweight yet robust characteristics, alongside its capacity to withstand the stressors of space travel.

It is quite inspiring to learn that almost 384,400 km away, leaving its mark on the Moon’s land, is this 3D fodder variant of aluminium, m4p™ AlSi10Mg. Those emblem prints on the Moon’s surface are the most prominent signs of India’s undying legacy in space exploration.