Produced by: Tarun Mishra
Designed by: Mohsin Shaikh
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) faces a communication challenge as it has been unable to establish contact with the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover of the Chandrayaan-3 mission
Despite multiple attempts, no signals have been received from the lunar explorers since the end of the Lunar night on September 21, following which the modules were supposed to be restarted
The Vikram lander and Pragyan rover were placed in sleep mode on September 2, following the successful completion of their initial tasks. The rover had covered more than 100 meters on the lunar surface and confirmed the presence of various elements, including sulphur, iron, and oxygen
ISRO has been unable to reactivate the system despite optimistic expectations. The agency will continue its efforts until the next lunar sunset, scheduled for September 30, hoping that the sun's rise will revive the equipment parked at Shivshakti Point on the moon
Sources within ISRO told India Today that they have acknowledged that the odds of revival have always been slim due to the harsh lunar environment during the long night. "We will continue to ping it. But as of now, there has been no communication," said one of the sources on the condition of anonymity
Initially, the signal for revival was expected to be automatic, triggered by the sunrise on the lunar surface on September 22, which should have recharged the solar-powered lander and rover. However, this anticipated signal has not materialised
ISRO Chief S Somnath previously said that if the electronics on the lander and rover withstand the cold temperatures, there remains a 50-50 chance of revival. However, if not, the mission has already met its objectives
In the event of revival, the lander and rover would continue their scientific experiments on the moon's surface, providing valuable data and insights
Despite the current communication challenges, the Chandrayaan-3 mission has already achieved a historic feat, marking India's first soft landing on the lunar South Polar Region and advancing lunar exploration
As ISRO persists in its efforts to reestablish contact, the global space community anxiously anticipates the successful revival of these lunar exploratory assets, keeping hopes alive for their continued contributions to lunar research