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Chandrayaan-3, India’s first-ever lunar mission to successfully land on the Moon, and the world’s first mission to explore the South Pole there, is now at a very delicate stage and today it will be decided whether the mission stays alive or is declared dead. It all hinges on Vikram Lander and Pragyan Rover. In early September, both of them were put to sleep after 14 days of investigation when the lunar night set in. This was done because the original mission was planned to be run for a duration of 14 days, and due to the lunar night arriving, the lander and the rover would not get sunlight to charge their batteries. But now, after another 14 days, sunlight is finally beginning to hit the Moon’s South Pole region. As per reports, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will now make attempts to restart the mission and bring Vikram Lander and Pragyan Rover back to life. However, it can be trickier than it seems, but India is hoping against hope that this miracle happens.
According to a report by the Indian Express, an ISRO official stated that the ground station will try to establish a connection with the lander and the rover modules, as well as the onboard instruments on Thursday, September 21, or Friday, September 22. The dates were picked on the basis of the availability of optimum sunlight. However, it is also said that the chances of the revival of the mission are very low. Yes, a miracle would be required to awaken both Vikram Lander and Pragyan Rover.
ISRO to attempt to resurrect Chandrayaan-3 mission
Vikram Lander and Pragyan Rover have been asleep for 14 days now. This means the modules have not had any power in this period. With extremely low temperatures in the South Pole region of the Moon during the no sunlight period, which drops to nearly -200 degrees Celsius, there is a possibility of the circuitry suffering damage or the battery losing its ability to restart the components.
But hopes are still there. Once the major scientific objectives were completed, ISRO put the modules in sleep mode. This was a strategic decision as it was done before the lunar sunset. The aim behind it was to ensure that the batteries would be fully charged by then, and they would keep the instruments warm enough to survive the cold night.
The moment of truth is arriving soon, with the attempt to restart the Chandrayaan-3 mission expected to take place either later today or tomorrow. If the Vikram Lander and Pragyan Rover can be awakened, they can function for another lunar day, which is a 14-day period. In this period, the rover and the lander can send more data that will enrich the already recorded observations.
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