After successful lunar mission, ISRO attempts to reconnect with Chandrayaan-3

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) finds itself in the midst of a tense situation as it embarks on efforts to revive Chandrayaan-3, which entered hibernation mode during the lunar night two weeks ago. This mission, which harbors the Pragyan rover and the Vikram lander, successfully landed near the moon’s south pole on August 23.

Chandrayaan-3 stands as a testament to India’s pioneering spirit in space exploration, with the nation becoming the fourth country to achieve a soft landing on the moon, following in the footsteps of the U.S, Russia, and China.

The focus of the mission is to study potential resources and gain insights into the moon’s development, primarily due to the scientific interest surrounding the lunar south pole’s potential reserves of frozen water and other essential resources for future human exploration.

Efforts to revive Chandrayaan-3

ISRO declared on X (formerly Twitter) on September 22 that initiatives were underway to reestablish contact with the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover to verify their wake-up conditions.

Despite the ongoing endeavors, the space agency has yet to receive any response from the two spacecraft. ISRO remains resilient, emphasizing that efforts to regain contact will persist.

Insights and discoveries so far

Prior to entering hibernation, the Pragyan rover actively explored the landing site and transmitted significant imagery back to Earth on September 2, 2023, with the Vikram lander following suit on September 4.

The lander played a pivotal role in analyzing the lunar soil’s top layer, evaluating its chemical composition, and determining its temperature. Notably, it identified sulfur residues, indicative of previous volcanic activities on the moon.

Challenges of the lunar night

The lunar night, equivalent to approximately 14 Earth days, poses severe challenges due to temperatures plunging to as low as -253 degrees Celsius.

Typically, Radioisotope Heater Units (RHUs) are deployed in moon missions to maintain operational temperatures by producing heat and electricity through the radioactive decay of elements. Unfortunately, Chandrayaan-3 has no RHUs to keep it warm.

ISRO’s persistent pursuit

Even though the mission’s primary objectives have been accomplished, ISRO is determined to extend its exploration and extract additional data from the lunar south pole. The organization commits to persevering in its attempts to reconnect with Chandrayaan-3, either until communication is restored or until time runs out.

This mission was particularly crucial for India, representing a redemption of sorts after the unsuccessful lunar landing attempt of Chandrayaan-2 in 2019 due to a software glitch. Nonetheless, Chandrayaan-2 continues its lunar orbit, contributing valuable data to ISRO’s research pool.

In summary, Chandrayaan-3’s historical achievement not only positioned India among the elite group of countries capable of lunar landings, but also opened new frontiers in lunar research. The mission’s focus on the lunar south pole could pave the way for future human expeditions to the moon by unraveling the mysteries of the celestial body and uncovering vital resources.

While the current scenario is fraught with anticipation as ISRO toils to reestablish communication, the endeavors and discoveries of the mission have already illuminated uncharted territories of lunar exploration.

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