ISRO extends Chandrayaan-3's revival mission by 14 days
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will continue to re-establish contact with the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover of the Chandrayaan-3 mission for another 14 days. The modules were put into hibernation on September 4 to withstand the extreme cold at the Moon's south pole. ISRO Chief S Somnath remains uncertain about when contact will be successful but vows to continue trying until the next lunar sunset on October 6.
ISRO is yet to receive signals from Vikram and Pragyan
Reviving modules amidst extreme lunar temperatures
During the lunar sunset, the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover were subjected to extreme temperatures as low as -200 degrees Celsius. If the onboard instruments get back into action, they can continue the mission for next 14 days. "We don't know when it (Chandrayaan-3 mission) will wake up. It could be tomorrow, or it could also be on the final day of the lunar day," said Somnath. "It would be a great achievement if the lander and rover woke up."
Payloads conducted several experiments before entering hibernation
If ISRO successfully revives the lander and rover, the information derived from experiments conducted by Chandrayaan-3 payloads would be a bonus. Former ISRO scientist Tapan Mishra emphasized that confirming the presence of water would be the next crucial step. Such a confirmation would mark a significant achievement for ISRO and contribute to the understanding of the Moon's resources.
Resuming mission for more vital data on lunar resources
If a connection is re-established, the lander and rover can resume their mission to send information from the Moon. The data derived from experiments conducted by Chandrayaan-3 payloads would be vital in further discoveries on the lunar surface. The payloads carried out tests on the Moon from August 23 to September 4 before entering hibernation.
