Chandrayaan-3: What will happen to ISRO's Vikram Lander, Pragyan Rover after Lunar night is over?
India's Chandrayaan-3 mission has been making headlines since the Vikram Lander, successfully touched down on the moon's surface on August 23, 2023. Accompanied by the Pragyan rover, the mission has been tirelessly exploring the enigmatic lunar south pole region, revealing new insights about Earth's celestial neighbor. However, as the mission reaches its critical juncture, the question arises: What will happen to Pragyan Rover and Vikram after their initial 14 active days on the moon's surface? Both Vikram Lander and Pragyan Rover have been put in sleep mode by ISRO.
The lander and rover, Vikram and Pragyan, are equipped with cutting-edge scientific instruments designed to operate on the Lunar Surface. They have beamed valuable data back to Earth via the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Deep Space Antenna Networks. However, a significant challenge looms ahead for the Chandrayaan-3 mission.
Following their initial 14-day phase, the moon enters a 14-day lunar night. During this lunar night, both Vikram and Pragyan have been put to sleep due to their reliance on solar power. The harsh lunar nighttime conditions, with temperatures plummeting to a bone-chilling -208°F (-133°C), pose a significant hurdle to the effective functioning of these lunar explorers and their scientific instruments.
ISRO has not programmed Chandrayaan-3's lander and rover for a return to Earth. Instead, they will remain on the moon's surface forever and keep India's. The agency intends to keep gathering data through them as long as they remain functional. However, the challenges of surviving the lunar night are daunting, and the prospects of reawakening Vikram and Pragyan after this harsh period are considered a long shot.
According to ISRO,
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