BENGALURU: Neither Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) nor US’ National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) seem to be wanting to give up on Chandrayaan-2’s lander Vikram. Not only has NASA joined ISRO in desperately trying to hook on to signals from the lander, ISRO has said they will continue tracking the signals on October 4-5 when the next lunar day (equivalent to 14 Earth days) begins. The search will be stopped when the lunar night begins on September 21-22.
A senior scientist associated with the Chandrayaan-2 mission told The New Sunday Express that, at present, the focus has shifted to the orbiter which is conducting crucial studies using its eight payloads. “On September 21-22, the location near the lunar south pole will creep into darkness. The atmospheric conditions will change. And two weeks later, when the Sun begins to shine on the area again, will we try to revive the lander if communication is possible,” he said.
However, it remains to be seen how the systems on the lander survive through the lunar night which see temperatures dip to as low as -150 degrees Celsius.
Another ISRO scientist told TNSE that the NASA has been going “beyond the call of duty” to make contact with the lander. “It is just a matter of days that we will know if NASA has been successful or not,” the source said.
Citing an example, the senior scientist, however, said, “It’s only when the cell phone network is working that I can call you. Tracking the signal is going to be very difficult and there’s a 99.99% chance that we never will.”
Chandrayaan-2 mission was launched on board GSLV MkIII M1 launcher on July 22 from Sriharikota, and the lander Vikram separated from the orbiter on September 2 to attempt the landing on September 7 when ISTRAC lost touch with the lander when it was just 350 metres from the surface. Vikram carries three payloads — Radio Astronomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive ionosphere and Atmosphere (RAMBHA), to measure ambient electron density/temperature near the lunar surface, and evolution of lunar plasma density for the first time near the surface under varying solar conditions; Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) to measure the vertical temperature gradient and thermal conductivity of the lunar surface; and Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) to study minute ground displacement, velocity or acceleration caused by lunar quakes.
The lander also houses the robotic rover Pragyan which was to roll out from a slide-down plank and conduct lunar surface exploration for one lunar day. The lander also carries a passive experiment from NASA, the Laser Retroreflector Array, to understand the distances between the Earth and Moon, the dynamics of the system.