Chandrayaan-3: Pragyan and Vikram enter sleep mode, potential restart on September 22
Produced by: Tarun Mishra
Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Mission accomplished
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Saturday reported that Chandrayaan-3’s Pragyan rover has successfully traveled 100 meters on the lunar surface and completed its assignments. The APXS and LIBS payloads on the rover have also been turned off as the lunar night approaches.
Preparing for 'sleep' mode
ISRO added that both Vikram lander and the Pragyan rover have now entered hibernation mode, commonly referred to as 'sleep' mode. This strategic decision is essential to ensure their survival during the lunar night.
The lunar night
As the night falls on the Lunar South Pole, temperatures plummet to a bone-chilling -200 degrees Celsius, posing a severe risk of freezing the rover and lander, potentially damaging their vital instruments. Even though the mission was planned for just 14 days, the meticulous planning aimed at safeguarding the Vikram and Pragyan holds high hopes for a successful revival, allowing ISRO to continue their exploration.
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Hope of a reboot
At present, the battery is at maximum charge, and the solar panel has been positioned to harness the incoming sunlight at the upcoming sunrise on September 22, 2023. However, the receiver remains active, awaiting the potential resumption of its mission.
Rover's exploration path
The journey of the Pragyan rover began as it disembarked from the Vikram lander on August 23. Along the way, it encountered a substantial lunar crater measuring four meters in diameter. Fortunately, Pragyan safely retraced its steps and continued its path westward before changing direction to move north.
Pragyan rover's Instruments
The Pragyan rover is equipped with a suite of scientific instruments, including a drill, a spectrometer, and a camera. These instruments play a crucial role in conducting detailed studies of the lunar surface, exploring the moon's history, and assessing the potential for lunar resources.
Lunar surface composition
Initial analysis unveiled the presence of several elements on the lunar surface, including Aluminium (Al), Sulphur (S), Calcium (Ca), Iron (Fe), Chromium (Cr), Titanium (Ti), Manganese (Mn), Silicon (Si), and Oxygen (O). Furthermore, the investigations are focused on detecting the presence of Hydrogen, if the lander and rover survive the lunar night.
India’s lunar ambassador
Even though the mission was designed to last 14 days only, there is a high possibility that the rover and lander could wake up on the next sunrise, otherwise it would stay on Moon as India’s 'Lunar Ambassador', said ISRO in a tweet update of Chandrayaan-3 mission.
After Moon, it’s time
for the Sun
As the Chandrayaan-3’s rover was put to a sleep, ISRO at 11:50 am on Saturday itself, successfully launched its historic solar research mission, Aditya-L1 on a PSLV-C57 rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Station in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
Aditya-L1's journey
According to ISRO, Aditya L1 will approximately take 4 months to reach its designated observation location known as the Lagrange point. Aditya-L1 is built for a research duration of approximately 5 years.