Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander spotted by Chandrayaan-2 orbiter on Moon's South Pole; see pic

Chandrayaan-3: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Saturday shared the latest image of Chandrayaan-3's Vikaram lander, which has been set into 'sleep mode' during the lunar night period on the Moon's South Pole. Vikram lander's image was taken on September 6 by an instrument onboard the Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter.  

Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft, which landed on the Moon on August 23, completed its assignments by September 2. The space agency said that the rover, which conducted experiments on the lunar surface, was "safely parked and set into Sleep mode". The ISRO said that payloads were turned off and the battery was fully charged. "The solar panel is oriented to receive the light at the next sunrise expected on September 22, 2023. The receiver is kept on. Hoping for a successful awakening for another set of assignments! Else, it will forever stay there as India's lunar ambassador."

On September 4, the ISRO informed that Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander successfully underwent a hop experiment two days after the experiments were paused on the lunar surface. "On command, it (Vikram) fired the engines, elevated itself by about 40 cm as expected, and landed safely at a distance of 30 – 40 cm away," the space agency said, adding that this achievement could help in future for human missions and bringing samples back to Earth. "Importance?: This 'kick-start' enthuses future sample return and human missions! All systems performed nominally and are healthy. Deployed Ramp, ChaSTE, and ILSA were folded back and redeployed successfully after the experiment," the ISRO said.