Science
Chandrayaan-3: ISRO Prepares To Put Lander Vikram, Rover Pragyan To 'Sleep' As Lunar Night Approaches
Lander Vikram on the lunar surface. (ISRO/Twitter)
As the lunar night looms on the horizon, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is gearing up to put its lander Vikram and rover Pragyan into a state of dormancy, S. Somanath, the Chairman of ISRO, announced today (2 September).
This pivotal update regarding the Chandrayaan-3 mission came following the successful launch of India's inaugural observatory-class space-based solar mission, the Aditya-L1 spacecraft.
Somanath emphasized the imminent commencement of the process to prepare both the lander and rover for this hibernation, highlighting the critical need for their survival during the lunar night.
"The good news is that the rover has moved almost 100 meters from the lander," the ISRO chief said, adding, "We are going to start the process of making both of them [the lander Vikram and the rover] sleep in the coming one or two days because they have to withstand the lunar night."
Spanning about 14 Earth days, equivalent to one lunar day, the lunar night casts the region into profound darkness, significantly diminishing available sunlight. This poses a formidable test for the solar-powered Pragyan rover's operational capabilities.
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