Chandrayaan 3: Will Pragyan Rover Wake Up Again? ALL You Need To Know
Chandrayaan - 3 Pragyan Rover: Chandrayaan 3 Pragyan Rover has been on the Moon since August 23rd, 2023. As per the latest Chandrayaan 3 ISRO updates, the rover was put in sleep mode and has not woken up yet. Will the Pragyan rover wake up again? Check all the details you need to know to understand the whole process.
Chandrayaan 3: Will Pragyan Rover Wake Up Again? ALL You Need To Know
Chandrayaan 3 - Will Pragyan Rover Wake Up Again? - Chandrayaan 3 is India's elite lunar mission which made India the first country ever to achieve a successful soft landing on the south pole of the Moon. Vikram lander of Chandrayaan 3 soft-landed on the Moon's surface on August 23rd, 2023 at 6.04 pm. With this, India became the fourth country to achieve a soft landing on the Moon. The US, the former USSR and China. To commemorate this remarkable feat, PM Modi announced National Space Day to be celebrated each year on August 23rd. Chandrayaan 3 showcased India's technological power in advanced lunar exploration.
Chandrayaan-3 Mission: Efforts have been made to establish communication with the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover to ascertain their wake-up condition.
As of now, no signals have been received from them.
On September 3, 2023, Vikram lander underwent a hop experiment successfully and exceeded its objectives. ISRO had shared this latest update about the Chandryaan 3 Vikram lander, via its official Twitter handle.
The Vikram lander fired its engines on command and elevated itself by about 40 cm and then landed safely at a distance of 30-40 cm away from the original position. All the systems within the rover performed well. Later, the ramp was deployed, ChaSTE and ILSA were folded back and deployed successfully.
Why is Vikram Lander’s Second Soft Landing Important?
The ‘kick-start’ or the hop of Vikram lander is an important milestone because it spurs the possibility of using it in future to bring samples back to the Earth or even for human missions.
Pragyan Rover Put To Sleep
On September 2, 2023, ISRO shared that Pragyan Rover had completed its assignments and was safely parked and set in sleep mode. While its APXS and LIBS payloads are turned off, its receiver is kept on.
When Will Pragyan Rover Wake Up Again?
Unlike the Earth where a day is about 24 hours long with about 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness, on the Moon, a day is about 29 days long!
As per NASA's Moon Tracker, the recent lunar sunset began on September 4 at the Shiv Shakti Point. NASA's tracker anticipates the next lunar sunrise at the south pole of the Moon around September 22. Thus, it is expected that the Pragyan rover will wake up again on September 22, 2023.
Why is Sunlight Important for Pragyan Rover Chandrayaan 3?
Pragyan rover’s battery is solar-powered. Hence, its solar panel has been oriented to receive the solar light at the next sunrise on the south pole of the Moon, which is expected on September 22, 2023. Also, when Pragyan rover was put in sleep mode, its battery was left fully charged.
Challenges in Waking Up Pragyan and Vikram Lander Again
“Hoping for a successful awakening for another set of assignments! Else, it will forever stay there as India's lunar ambassador”, ISRO mentioned in its official tweet.
A day on the Moon is about 14 earth days and the night on Moon is also about 14 earth nights long.
During these 14 days of darkness, the Moon’s south pole will not be facing the Sun. The temperature on the Moon’s surface during these two weeks went as low as -200 degrees Celius.
Thus, only if the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover can withstand these freezing conditions on the Moon, they are expected to wake up again.
Importance of Chandrayaan-3: What Students and Youth of India Must Understand
Chandrayaan-3 inspires and educates, boosting national and international prestige, showcasing India's space capabilities and commitment to space exploration. The lunar south pole was a territory never explored before. India is the first country to make a successful soft landing on the south pole of the Moon. India is now the fourth country to achieve a soft landing on the Moon after the US, former USSR and China.
Chandrayaan-3 is important to ISRO and India for several reasons. Chandrayaan 3 became a successful successor to Chandrayaan-2. Pragyan rover conducted various in-situ scientific discoveries about the Moon's geology. The successful Chandrayaan 3 mission will also be instrumental in driving technological advancements with potential applications beyond lunar exploration.
