Introduction
India’s groundbreaking lunar exploration mission, Chandrayaan-3, has entered a hibernation mode as it prepares for the cold lunar night. Both the rover and lander have entered sleep mode to protect their electronic components from freezing temperatures. However, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is confident that the rover will reactivate when the sun rises on the moon in two weeks.
Mission Highlights
- The mission successfully landed the Vikram lander near the moon’s south pole, making India the first country to explore this region.
- A six-wheeled rover called Pragyan rolled onto the surface and carried out experiments during the 14-day period of daylight.
- New scientific data was collected by instruments on the lander, including temperature sampling of moon dust and recording seismic activity.
Soft Landing and “Hop” Experiment
The Vikram lander made a second soft touchdown on the moon as part of a “hop” experiment. It lifted off to a height of 40 centimeters and moved laterally before landing again. The successful test has implications for future sample return and human missions, as it demonstrates the possibility of soft landings and subsequent take-offs from the moon’s surface.
Hibernation Mode
On September 2, the rover covered a distance of 100 meters before entering sleep mode to prepare for the cold lunar night. The scientific payloads were switched off, and all data was transmitted back to Earth. The hardware is expected to reactivate when the sun rises again on September 22.
Optimism for Reactivation
While the official mission duration was only meant to last a lunar day, there is optimism that the rover and lander will revive after the lunar night. Mission operations director M. Srikanth expressed confidence that both will come back to life. Whether or not that happens, the mission is considered a success.
Conclusion
India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission has made significant achievements in lunar exploration. Despite entering hibernation mode, there is hope that the rover and lander will reactivate and continue their mission once the cold lunar night ends.
