As lunar night approaches, ISRO is preparing to put the Pragyan rover and Vikram lander into sleep mode. Both remain functional, with the rover having covered a distance of approximately 100 meters from the lander.
The Chandrayaan 3 mission is approaching the end of its scheduled exploration period, equivalent to 14 Earth days on the Moon. To safeguard the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover from the harsh lunar night with temperatures plunging below -200 degrees Celsius, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is initiating a "sleep mode" operation. S Somanath, the chief of ISRO, made this announcement following the successful launch of the Aditya L1 sun mission.
As lunar night approaches, ISRO is preparing to put the Pragyan rover and Vikram lander into sleep mode. Both remain functional, with the rover having covered a distance of approximately 100 meters from the lander. The future of these Moon-bound explorers sparks intriguing questions about their longevity and potential to continue delivering valuable insights into the lunar surface.
Once their mission concludes, Vikram and Pragyan will remain on the Moon's surface, powered by solar panels. As the mission continues, ISRO will monitor their performance, raising the possibility of extended data collection. Chandrayaan-3 was not designed to return to Earth, so any continued functionality of the lander and rover promises a wealth of lunar information for ISRO to gather.
ISRO has been actively sharing data from scientific experiments conducted during the Chandrayaan 3 mission. Recent highlights include the Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) payload recording an intriguing event, currently under investigation. The Alpha Particle X-ray Spectroscope (APXS) has successfully identified sulphur and other minor elements on the lunar terrain. Additionally, the Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) onboard the rover has confirmed the presence of sulphur, contributing to our understanding of lunar composition and characteristics.