BENGALURU: India’s successful Chandrayaan-3 Mission to the Moon’s south pole has come to an end. The scientists switched off the Pragyaan rover on Saturday night after it completed its two-week assignment conducting various experiments and travelling 100 metres in the south polar region, said the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The space agency hopes to wake up the rover after 14 days when the lunar night is over on September 22, 2023.
“It is now safely parked and set into Sleep mode. APXS (Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer) and LIBS (Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope) payloads are turned off. Data from these payloads is transmitted to the Earth via the Lander,” informed ISRO on platform X.
Vikram lander too put to sleep
Scientists said the batteries of the rover are fully charged and the solar panel has been oriented to receive the light when the sunrise takes place after two weeks. “The receiver is kept on,” said ISRO so that the scientists are able to establish contact after two weeks.
“Vikram lander too will be put to sleep on Sunday or early Monday as data from its payloads is still flowing,” said a scientist working on the Chandrayaan-3 Mission. If the rover wakes up after two weeks, this will be a bonus for India’s maiden mission to the Moon’s south pole, making India the only country to do so.
“Hoping for a successful awakening for another set of assignments! Otherwise, it will forever stay there as India’s lunar ambassador,” said ISRO in a statement. After the successful launch of Aditya-L1 on Saturday, S Somanath, Chairman of, ISRO said the Chandrayaan-3 Mission lander and rover are functioning well and the rover has traversed 100 metres from the ShivShakti Point, the landing site of Vikram lander on August 23.
As lunar nights take over the Moon’s surface, the lander and rover will not have any means to charge batteries through solar power. For 14 days, there will be no light on the lunar surface and the temperatures will fall considerably.