The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced successful tests of the Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA) delivered to the Moon by the Indian Vikram lander last summer. For the test, NASA experts used the interplanetary automatic station Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) in lunar orbit.

According to NASA, the laser retroreflector array consists of eight round quartz prismatic reflectors, just 1.27 cm in diameter, painted gold, placed on a hemispherical platform 5.11 cm in diameter and 1.65 cm in height. All reflectors are directed in different directions to cover a reflecting area of ​​approximately 20°. In this way, LRA reflects the light falling on it from all directions. A similar vehicle was also on the Peregrine lunar module, whose mission ended in failure.

Currently “Vikram” is not working as it never comes out of “sleep” mode after a long moonlit night. According to NASA, the LRO flew over the location of “Vikram” on December 12, 2023. The orbiter pointed a laser altimeter at the reflector from an altitude of 62 miles (100 km) and detected laser pulses in response, confirming that the LRA was operating.