Chandrayaan-3: Vikram lander is asleep and expected to wake up on Sep 22

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced that the Vikram lander of the Chandrayaan-3 mission has been set into sleep mode. This significant development took place at approximately 8 am IST on Monday (September 4). This comes as the Vikram lander exceeded its mission objectives and made a second soft landing on the surface of the moon, as a part of a 'hop experiment.'

While sharing the images of the Vikram lander before and after the hop, ISRO in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), wrote, "Chandrayaan-3 Mission: Vikram Lander is set into sleep mode around 08:00 Hrs. IST today. Prior to that, in-situ experiments by ChaSTE, RAMBHA-LP and ILSA payloads are performed at the new location."

"The data collected is received at the Earth. Payloads are now switched off. Lander receivers are kept ON. Vikram will fall asleep next to Pragyan once the solar power is depleted and the battery is drained. Hoping for their awakening, around September 22, 2023. "

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Also Read | Asia’s second-largest fruit mandi in Kashmir abuzz with buyers from across India

The term "in-situ" is a Latin phrase that translates to "in place" or "on-site," and it implies that researchers are studying a phenomenon or conducting experiments directly where it naturally occurs, without removing samples or specimens to a different location. Thus, in this, the data is collected directly adjacent to the measuring instrument. These types of experiments offer unfiltered insights into the lunar environment.

The Vikram Lander, named in honour of Dr Vikram A Sarabhai, widely regarded as the father of the Indian Space Programme, was designed to operate for one lunar day, roughly equivalent to 14 Earth days.

Lunar water

The data obtained from these experiments has been successfully transmitted back to Earth, contributing significantly to the primary mission objective, which is to locate lunar water.

Also Read | Vijay Deverakonda visits Yadadri Temple with family post release of Kushi

Following the completion of these operations, the lander's payloads have been deactivated, while the lander receivers now remain operational.

Pragyan rover

The Pragyan Rover, a companion to the Vikram Lander, has also been placed into sleep mode. Both the lander and the rover will remain in this state until they can recharge their onboard batteries using solar power.

Watch | G20 Summit 2023: Indian PM shrugs off Pakistan, China objections on G20 venues

This recharging is expected to happen around September 22after the lunar sunrise over the South Pole.The world now eagerly anticipates the reawakening of the Vikram Lander and Pragyan Rover.

India in space exploration

The success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission has further solidified India's position as a prominent player in space exploration, following in the footsteps of nations like the United States, China, and Russia. Chandrayaan-3 mission has made India the first nation to land a spacecraft on the unexplored South Pole of the moon and the fourth nation to land on Earth’s lunar satellite.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.