ISRO Safely Puts Pragyan Rover in Sleep Mode
The Indian Space and Research Organization (ISRO) announced on Saturday that the Pragyan Rover module of the Vikram lander has been placed in sleep mode.’ ISRO shared its anticipation for a successful awakening on September 22, 2023, as it readies for another set of assignments.
ISRO reported, “The Rover completed its assignments. It is now safely parked and set into Sleep mode. The APXS and LIBS payloads are turned off. Data from these payloads is transmitted to the Earth via the Lander.”
As of now, the rover’s battery is fully charged, and the solar panel has been oriented to capture the incoming sunlight at the next lunar sunrise, expected on September 22, 2023. The receiver remains active, with ISRO expressing hope for a successful reactivation for further missions. Otherwise, the rover will remain on the lunar surface as India’s lunar ambassador.
ISRO Chairman’s Statement
ISRO Chairman Somanath had previously stated, “The Pragyan rover and Vikram lander are still functional. We are commencing the process of placing both of them into sleep mode in the next one to two days as they need to tolerate the lunar night.” This decision was made after the successful launch of the Aditya L1 solar mission from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota.
Somanath also mentioned that the rover had moved approximately 100 meters away from the lander.
Chandrayaan-3 Mission Overview
The Chandrayaan-3 mission consists of three components:
- Propulsion Module: This module transferred the lander and rover modules to a lunar orbit approximately 100 kilometers above the moon’s surface.
- Lander Module: Responsible for ensuring the safe landing of the lunar craft
- Rover Module: Designed for exploring various components on the moon’s surface
ISRO’s recent developments indicate that the mission is progressing successfully, with the potential for further exciting discoveries as the Pragyan Rover awaits its next set of assignments on the lunar surface.