Ishaan adjusts his glasses, excitement shimmering in his gaze as he points upward, his phone screen aglow with images of the Chandrayaan-3 mission. Aparna, her hair pulled back in a loose ponytail, hugs her knees to her chest, curiosity lighting up her face. "Can you believe it, Aparna? Chandrayaan-3 actually landed near the moon's south pole! I watched the livestream with Dad—the lander, Vikram, touched down so gently, it was unreal."

"I saw the news clips! But I still don't get how the rover, Pragyan, actually moves on the moon. Isn't the surface super rough? How does it not get stuck?" "Great question. Pragyan has these clever wheels designed just for lunar dust. Each wheel has ridges and little engravings—like tire treads, but smarter. They help it grip the surface and avoid slipping or sinking into the soft regolith."

"That’s amazing! And the lander—what’s special about Vikram? Didn’t something go wrong last time with Chandrayaan-2?" "Yeah, Chandrayaan-2’s landing didn’t go as hoped. But this time, Vikram had new safety features. More sensors, better software for navigation, and backup systems in case something went wrong. It learned from every mistake—like a real explorer."

"I wish I could be part of something like that. Imagine helping a rover find water ice on the moon, or discovering something new that changes what we know about space." "You totally could, Aparna. You’re always the first to ask questions in science class. Who knows? Maybe one day you’ll help design the next mission, or even be an astronaut."

"Wouldn’t it be cool if we built a tiny rover for our school’s science fair? We could code it to avoid obstacles, just like Pragyan." "Let’s do it! We’ll need to research, plan, maybe even get some help from our science teacher. Who knows, maybe our project could inspire others, just like Chandrayaan-3 inspired us."

"Next time, let’s bring a telescope. I want to see if we can spot where Vikram landed!" "Deal. And maybe one day, we’ll be the ones everyone’s watching, as our own mission reaches for the stars."