Silence from Chandrayaan-3
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has yet to receive any signal from the Chandrayaan-3 lander and rover, Vikram and Pragyan, since their successful landing on the lunar surface.
Three days after sunrise on the Moon, ISRO remains hopeful of receiving signals from the lander and rover. ISRO Chairman S Somanath stated that they are prepared to wait for the entire lunar day, which spans 14 Earth days. During this period, continuous sunlight is available, preventing extreme temperature drops.
Chandrayaan-3 Mission:
— ISRO (@isro) September 22, 2023
Efforts have been made to establish communication with the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover to ascertain their wake-up condition.
As of now, no signals have been received from them.
Efforts to establish contact will continue.
Somanath explained that if Vikram and Pragyan were to awaken, there would be several advantages. Firstly, they could repeat in situ experiments, potentially yielding different data over time. For instance, experiments like ChaSTE (Chandra’s Surface Thermo-physical Experiment) could be relocated to obtain new datasets from different lunar locations, enhancing the understanding of lunar terrain characteristics.
Benefits for Scientific Payloads
Even the “Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive Ionosphere and Atmosphere” would benefit from probing the Moon from various locations. For Pragyan’s instruments, conducting experiments from multiple locations would provide a broader dataset. Even if Vikram and Pragyan don’t awaken, the Chandrayaan-3 mission has achieved all its objectives, including safe and soft landing, rover operations, and in-situ scientific experiments. Vikram exceeded expectations by performing a lunar hop. Awakening the lander and rover would provide a valuable bonus, but the mission’s success is already assured.
Check Out: Women’s Reservation Bill: Indian Parliament Passes the Bill!
Conclusion
ISRO continues to monitor for signals from Vikram and Pragyan on the lunar surface, hoping to extend their mission for a second inning. Regardless of the outcome, the Chandrayaan-3 mission has already achieved its mission objectives, and any additional data from the lander and rover would be a valuable bonus to enhance scientific understanding.
