India: ISRO extends wait, giving Pragyaan rover, Vikram lander 14 more days to awaken on lunar surface

Scientists are holding onto hope as temperatures rise on the Moon, anticipating the revival of the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Vikram lander and Pragyaan rover until the next lunar sunset on October 6.This effectively means ISRO has extended its wait for another 14 days, hoping for the revival of the lander and the rover.

As the Sun graced the lunar horizon, efforts to reawaken these dormant spacecraft commenced, marking the potential beginning of a "bonus" phase for the Chandrayaan-3 mission, reported the Hindustan Times.

However, amidst this optimism, uncertainty looms regarding the timing of contact re-establishment with these instruments.

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ISRO Chairman S Somanath acknowledgedthe unpredictability of this task, stating, "We don’t know when it will wake up. It could be tomorrow, or it could also be on the final day of the lunar day. But we are trying. It will be a great achievement if the lander and rover wake up.”

Surviving lunar night

The lander and rover face the harsh challenge of surviving a lunar night that spans 14 Earth days.

During this period, they endure complete darkness and plummeting temperatures, reaching as low as -200 to -250 degrees Celsius — a harsh environment for their batteries, which store vital power.

Somanath reassured that while the rover has been thoroughly tested to withstand these extreme temperatures, the lander Vikram, which faltered in its previous mission, has not.

However, the similarities in design between Pragyaan and Vikram offer hope that the survival strategies employed for the rover could also benefit the lander.

ISRO meticulously prepared for the revival attempts, ensuring that before their slumber, the instruments had fully charged batteries and solar panels optimised to receive sunlight immediately upon sunrise.

In the best-case scenario, when the commands are sent to awaken the lander and rover, the rover will once again traverse the lunar surface, while the equipment aboard the lander will recommence its data collection process.

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Teams at the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking, and Command Network (ISTRAC) have embarked on the task of feeding commands to revive these instruments. Success in recharging these machines could extend the mission's lifespan, allowing scientists to accumulate additional valuable lunar samples.

The Chandrayaan-3 mission marked a historic feat on August 23 when ISRO's spacecraft successfully landed near the lunar south pole.

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