Chandrayaan-3's lunar innings end as Vikram and Pragyan stay stumped

As the cricket frenzy continues to captivate India, the lunar mission Chandrayaan-3, often in the shadows of sports headlines, has faced a disappointing setback. The lander, Vikram, and the rover, Pragyan, designed to endure a single lunar day, equivalent to 14 Earth days, have not reawakened after their soft landing on the Moon's surface on August 23. This extended lunar night has cast a chill over the hopes of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and its numerous supporters.

Initially, there was optimism that the lander and rover might rouse from their slumber during the first three days of September 20, 21, and 22 when they entered a sleep mode. Unfortunately, these aspirations did not materialize.

ISRO Chairman S Somanath expressed the agency's determination to wait until the last possible moment for Vikram and Pragyan to reestablish contact. Even a brief reconnection would offer ISRO the opportunity to conduct further experiments using the scientific instruments onboard these lunar explorers.


However, the lunar mission, located some 3.8 lakh kilometers away, did not experience the hoped-for "super over" – a bonus of even brief activity.

M Sankaran, the director of the UR Rao Satellite Centre, the key establishment overseeing Chandrayaan-3, noted, "The lander and rover have not woken up. While the chances of them waking up again after this lunar night ends in the next 14 days are very very slim, we are not closing that option."

Nonetheless, both Vikram and Pragyan have had an impressive run on the challenging lunar landscape. Their journey included a flawless lunar landing, explorations of alien terrain, and even a daring lunar hop by the lander.

Sankaran emphasized the importance of the data collected during the early stages of their mission. "Given that this mission is not like a remote sensing or communication satellite, the quantity of data from Vikram and Pragyan payloads won't be large, but the important thing would be the outcome of what we've received when they worked on the first day. The analysis of data is ongoing."

Sankaran also highlighted the significance of data gathered from the propulsion module payload, Spectro-polarimetry of HAbitable Planet Earth (SHAPE), which specifically examines Earth-like features while orbiting the Moon.

ISRO has already shared some findings from instruments placed on the Moon, including the unambiguous detection of sulfur and temperature measurements. Additionally, the rover's movements have provided valuable insights into lunar soil properties, which may require further investigation.