Chandrayaan-3, India’s lunar lander and rover has been placed into “sleep mode” by the The Indian Space Research Organisation ( Isro ) as the Moon’s day transitions into night. Once their solar power depletes and their batteries drain, they will enter “sleep mode” next to each other. Isro anticipates they will reawaken around September 22 when the next lunar day begins.
Both the lander, Vikram, and the rover, Pragyaan, rely on sunlight to charge their batteries and carry out their functions. Vikram successfully touched down on the Moon’s less-explored south pole on August 23, making India the first country to land in this region and achieving a soft lunar landing, joining the ranks of the US, the former Soviet Union, and China.
Updating the Public
About Chandrayaan-3 , Isro has been regularly updating the public on the movements, findings, and images captured by the lander and rover. In a recent update, Isro announced that Vikram successfully executed a “hop experiment,” where it rose about 40cm (16 inches) and landed at a distance of 30-40cm after firing its engines. This successful hop experiment could potentially enable the spacecraft’s use in future missions, such as bringing lunar samples back to Earth or supporting human missions.
Initially, Isro had indicated that the lander and rover would cease operations when lunar night fell, which lasts approximately two weeks on Earth. However, there is a possibility that they may reawaken when the next lunar day begins, as observed with China‘s Chang’e 4 lander and Yutu 2 rover, which woke up several times with the sunrise.
In anticipation of a potential reawakening, Isro has prepared Vikram and Pragyaan for the lunar night. They have fully charged their batteries, turned off their scientific instruments, and are now in a secure “sleep mode.”
Former Isro chief Kiran Kumar explained that while the onset of lunar night might still be a couple of days away, preparations for Vikram and Pragyaan were necessary because the Sun’s orientation near the pole leads to a shorter duration of sunlight. This means that the lander and rover would not receive sunlight for an extended period, hence the need to ensure they are ready for the lunar night.