Chandrayaan-3: Rover Pragyan Travels Nearly 100 Meters From Lander Vikram

The Chandrayaan-3 rover Pragyan has traveled 100 meters from the lander Vikram, S Somanath, the Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), announced today (2 September).

This update on the Chandrayaan-3 mission was delivered during an address following the successful launch of the Aditya-L1 spacecraft, which is the first observatory-class space-based solar mission from India.

He mentioned that the process of putting both the lander, Vikram, and the rover to sleep would commence in the next one or two days, emphasizing the need for them to endure 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."

The lunar night lasts about 14 Earth days, equivalent to one lunar day. During this time, the region experiences darkness, significantly reducing the available sunlight and making it challenging for the solar-powered Pragyan rover to operate.