The Vikram lander on the surface of the moon, as seen by the Pragyan rover
Image source: ISRO
Introduction
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is currently searching for signs of life from their Chandrayaan-3 mission on the moon. The Vikram lander and the Pragyan rover have not shown any signal of activity since the lunar night began. If communication attempts fail, it is likely that the extreme cold conditions on the moon have affected the hardware.
Current Status
No signals have been received from the Vikram lander or the Pragyan rover so far. ISRO is continuing its efforts to establish communication and wake-up the devices. However, it is uncertain whether they will be successful.
Mission Details
The Chandrayaan-3 mission was launched in July. On August 23, the Vikram lander successfully landed on the moon’s surface and released the Pragyan rover, which covered approximately 100 meters of distance. Both devices carried out their scientific experiments and Vikram even performed a test maneuver to collect data for future landings.
Sleep Mode and Extreme Conditions
After two weeks on the moon, both the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover entered a sleep mode to prepare for the freezing conditions. The moon experiences temperatures as low as -238°C during its night. The devices were switched off, and all data was transmitted back to Earth before they entered sleep mode.
Hopes for Revival
ISRO engineers are hopeful that the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover will resume activity once the sun rises again and the solar panels can generate power. However, the extreme cold may have caused damage to certain components, resulting in a longer warm-up time. The mission team and engineers are eagerly waiting for signs of life from the devices.
“Waking up the craft to explore the lunar surface further would be a fantastic achievement for the mission team and their engineers,” says Sarah Casewell, a scientist from the University of Leicester, UK.
Conclusion
The search for the missing Chandrayaan-3 mission continues. The ISRO is putting in efforts to establish communication with the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover in hopes of resuming their scientific exploration of the moon’s surface. The extreme conditions on the moon pose a significant challenge, but if successful, it would be a remarkable achievement for the mission team.
