Social media users have falsely claimed an image of tyre tracks with India's state emblem and space agency logo were genuine imprints left by the country's Moon rover after a successful landing on the lunar surface in August 2023. But the creator of the image in fact posted it hours before the landing and has clarified the image is not real.

The image was shared more than 1,200 times after it was posted here on X, formerly known as Twitter, on August 23, 2023.

It appears to show the black outline of India’s state emblem and the logo of the official Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) against a rough, grey surface (archived links here and here).

The English-language caption reads: "Image permanently imprinted on the surface of Moon today onward as Tyres of the rover has this imprint, as there is no air on moon hence these marks will be forever."

Screenshot of the false post, taken August 25, 2023

The claim circulated after India's Chandrayaan-3 mission successfully landed on the Moon's south pole on August 23, making the country the first to do so in a historic triumph for the world’s most populous nation and its ambitious space program.

The following day, a rover called Pragyan -- "wisdom" in Sanskrit -- rolled out of the lander, where it will amble around the relatively unmapped region and transmit images and scientific data over its two-week lifespan.

The image has been shared alongside similar false claims on Facebook here and here, as well as on X here.

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