India's lunar rover, Chandrayaan-3, has been powered down following a successful mission at the Moon's south pole, marking a historic achievement.
Chandrayan-3 Rover Takes a Well-Deserved Nap
Chandrayaan-3, India's pioneering lunar mission, explored the lunar south pole for nearly two weeks, marking a historic achievement and investigating the potential presence of frozen water in shaded craters.
Now, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced via X (formerly Twitter) that both the Pragyaan rover and Vikram lander have entered "sleep mode" and will remain so until the next lunar sunrise in approximately two weeks.
These vehicles rely on solar power, and while indicated that Pragyaan's batteries are "fully charged" in a recent post, they have prudently chosen to power down and temporarily park the rover. Pragyaan has already covered over 330 feet of lunar surface since its arrival on August 23.
Moreover, the rover's instruments have been deactivated, and the data it gathered has been successfully transmitted to Earth via the lander. Following suit, the Vikram lander, which facilitated Pragyaan's descent to the lunar surface and conducted its own scientific mission, will also enter a dormant state, with the hope of reactivation around September 22, 2023, when solar power is restored.
ISRO also expressed optimism for a successful reawakening for further tasks. Otherwise, as per the statement, Pragyaan would continue its role as India's enduring lunar representative.
Chandrayaan-3's Mission So Far
The outcome of the lunar rover's search for frozen water on the moon, crucial for potential astronaut missions, remains undisclosed. But the rover did confirm the presence of sulfur and detected various other elements on the lunar surface, although no information has been provided regarding water.
Reports suggest that the Moon mission's electronics were not designed to withstand the Moon's extremely low nighttime temperatures, which can drop below -120°C (-184°F). Pallava Bagla, a science writer, noted the rover's limited battery power and the absence of technology in India capable of creating electronic components that can endure the Moon's severe cold.
Shortly before entering sleep mode, the lander conducted a brief "hop" by activating its thrusters, shifting about 16 inches (40 centimeters) closer to the already dormant Pragyan rover. This hop can be viewed as a potential test for a future sample return mission that would require launch capability from the moon's surface.
The collected data has been transmitted back to Earth and will initially undergo analysis by Indian scientists before being shared with the global scientific community.
It is noteworthy that the success of ISRO's mission stands in contrast to the recent failure of Russia's Roscosmos, whose attempt to land its Luna-25 craft on the Moon's south pole ended in disaster just two days prior to the historic Chandrayaan-3 landing.
Within this decade, the NASA-led Artemis 3 mission plans to land the first humans on the moon's southern polar region, where water deposits in permanently shadowed craters could support a lunar base by providing drinking water and oxygen production, potentially reducing base maintenance costs significantly.
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