Chandrayaan-3 update: ISRO trying to connect Vikram Lander

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) disclosed on Friday its endeavors to establish contact with the Chandrayaan-3 mission’s Vikram lander and Pragyan rover to assess their wake-up status. 

However, as of the latest update, no signals have been received from the lander and rover. ISRO affirmed that efforts to establish communication will persist.

Union Minister’s Statement on Chandrayaan-3:

Union Minister Jitendra Singh conveyed on X (formerly Twitter) that ISRO’s dedicated team had been tirelessly working to regain contact with the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover, particularly after the lunar sunrise. 

However, no signals have been received thus far. Singh speculated that the prolonged extreme cold weather conditions, dropping to as low as -150 degrees Celsius during the recent lunar night spanning 14 Earth days, might explain the lack of communication. 

Nevertheless, the commitment to restoring contact remains unwavering.

Reactivation After Lunar Night:

ISRO initiated plans on Friday to reactivate the lander and rover, which had been in ‘sleep mode’ for nearly 16 Earth days as the lunar night enveloped the Moon’s south pole. 

This reactivation aligns with the increasing lunar surface temperature to above minus 10 degrees Celsius, a pivotal condition that activates the essential communication circuit known as the “wake-up circuit.”

Here’s the link to the Tweet ISRO shared

Previous Mission Success:

Vikram Lander, a key component of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, accomplished a successful soft landing near the Moon’s south pole on August 23. 

The lander and rover functioned effectively for approximately 10 Earth days before entering sleep mode on September 4 and September 2, respectively.

The reactivation plan for the rover:

Director of Space Applications Centre, Nilesh Desai, shared that the reactivation plan for the rover and lander had been postponed to September 23. 

The initial plan was to reactivate them on September 22, but was delayed for unspecified reasons. The intended course included moving the rover to a distance of around 300-350 meters, although it has currently covered 105 meters. 

The rover collected substantial data and subsequently archived for analysis by ISRO scientists. Desai emphasized that the team is actively working with the received data.

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