Having achieved its intended objectives, ISRO’s historic Chandrayaan 3 mission is approaching the conclusion of its planned exploration period. Initially, it was expected that the lander and the rover would not last beyond one lunar day which is equivalent to 14 Earth days.
However, recent developments indicate that ISRO is making efforts to help the instruments survive the long night, lasting another 14-odd days on the lunar surface so that the payloads can continue to perform scientific experiments for another lunar day.
Evidently, the space agency is now preparing to initiate a “sleep mode” operation for the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover as the lunar night is approaching. During that phase temperatures are expected to plummet below -200 degrees Celsius and this freezing temperature can jam the system.
ISRO Chief S Somnath informed this while delivering a congratulatory message after the successful launch of the Aditya L1 sun mission from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. During his congratulatory address, he added that the Aditya-L1 mission was successfully injected into the intended orbit for India’s first mission to the Sun.
Regarding the Chandrayaan 3 mission, the ISRO Chief said, “The lander and rover, Vikram and Pragyan, respectively, were still functioning and our team with scientific instruments are doing a lot of work now.”
He further added, “The good news is that the rover has moved almost 100 metres from the lander and we are going to start the process of making both of them sleep in the coming one or two days because they have to withstand the night.”
On a day when all eyes are glued to screens for the India-Pakistan Asia Cup match, ISRO took to X to announce that Pragyan Rover is continuing its good form and has scored a century in a bid to highlight that the rover has traversed a total distance of more than 100 metres.
Chandrayaan-3 Mission:
— ISRO (@isro) September 2, 2023
🏏Pragyan 100*
Meanwhile, over the Moon, Pragan Rover has traversed over 100 meters and continuing. pic.twitter.com/J1jR3rP6CZ
In seemingly a cricket analogy, ISRO has shared a map of the route that the Pragyan rover has taken on the lunar surface and it looks similar to that of a wagon wheel in a cricket match statistics.
The post read, “Pragyan 100 (not out). Meanwhile, over the Moon, Pragan Rover has traversed over 100 meters and continuing.”
Chandrayaan-3 Mission:
— ISRO (@isro) August 31, 2023
In-situ Scientific Experiments
Instrument for the Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) payload on Chandrayaan 3 Lander
— the first Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology-based instrument on the moon —
has recorded the movements of Rover and other… pic.twitter.com/Sjd5K14hPl
Earlier on the 31st of August, ISRO shared that the Instrument for the Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) payload recorded an event which according to them appeared to be a “natural one”. Informing about the same, ISRO added that the source of this event is under investigation.
Prior to that, during in-situ experimentations, ISRO confirmed the presence of various elements including Sulphur and Oxygen on the lunar surface. The space agency also shared temperature profiles and high-resolution images and videos of the mission and its payloads.
