Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) launched the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on July 14th at 2.35 pm on a LVM3 M4 rocket to explore the South Pole of the Moon. It crossed the Earth orbit, lunar orbit and on August 23rd at 6.04 pm Vikram Lander successfully landed on the moon after completing a 40 day journey. Pragyan rover came out from Vikram lander after next 2 hours.
Lander was watching it like a child. The day the rover was launched was the day when night ended and day began after 14 lunar days (a lunar day). The rover began its survey that day.
A ‘spectroscope instrument’ on the rover called ‘LIBS’ confirmed the presence of sulfur on the moon beyond doubt. Subsequently, the rover confirmed the presence of minerals including aluminium, calcium, iron, chromium, titanium, manganese, silicon and oxygen, and together with the lander, took various photographs of the lunar surface at the south pole from various angles and sent them to the ground control center in Bengaluru.
Rover in sleep mode
The rover and lander were unable to survey the moon’s south pole, which was shrouded in darkness as lunar day ended and night began. As a result, the Pragyaan rover has been kept dormant on the surface of the moon’s south pole at the beginning of this month.
Following this, the lander was put to sleep. Meanwhile, during the first 14 days of sunlight on the moon, the rover’s batteries are kept charged by solar panels.
A rover probe again?
In this case, when the sun shines on the Shivashakti point at the south pole of the moon, the operational conditions of the sleeping rover and lander instruments will improve. During the 14-day long lunar night, the Moon’s environment is surrounded by a freezing temperature of about 200 degrees Celsius. It is impossible for technical equipment to work in such severe weather.
That’s why scientists put them to sleep. Today (Friday) at sunrise, the sleeping lander and rover will wake up and resume research. The solar panel receives the light and the battery is charged and activated. Through this, ISRO scientists are confident that we will get more scientific information when we continue our research on the South Pole of the Moon.
