25/09/2023
1288 times read
25/09/2023
1288 times read
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NEW DELHI, India, Sept 25, (Agencies): The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has decided to extend its efforts by another 14 days to reestablish communication with the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover of the Chandrayaan-3 mission. ISRO will persist in its attempts to revive the lander and rover until the next lunar sunset scheduled for October 6.
Nevertheless, ISRO's Chief, S Somnath, has emphasized that the timing of the reconnection with Chandrayaan-3's instruments remains uncertain. ISRO provided an update, noting that their efforts to establish contact with the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover, aimed at assessing their operational status, have not yielded any signals thus far. However, the space agency has committed to ongoing attempts to establish contact.
Chandrayaan-3's journey began with a 40-day voyage into space, culminating in the Vikram lander's successful touchdown on the uncharted lunar South Pole on August 23. This achievement marked India as the first country to accomplish such a feat. Subsequently, after traversing more than 100 meters on the lunar surface from the Shiv Shakti Point, the initial landing site of the Vikram lander, the Pragyan rover was securely parked and set into sleep mode on September 2.
Former ISRO scientist Mayilsamy Annadurai, a Padma Shri Awardee, expressed optimism regarding the potential revival of the Pragyan rover. He stated, "I am reasonably confident about the Pragyan rover since it has undergone extensive testing. However, regarding the Vikram lander, we must adopt a wait-and-see approach," as quoted by HT Tech.
ISRO's Chief, S Somnath, has encouraged public participation in the Chandrayaan 3 Maha Quiz through the government website MyGov.in to celebrate this historic lunar landing. In a video released by ISRO, S Somnath explained, "As you are aware, MyGov is a platform that allows you to participate in space quiz programs. So, please remember to visit mygov.in, log in, and search for the space quiz program. Join in, support us, inspire us, and be inspired."
Chandrayaan-3 is the follow-up mission to the 2019 Chandrayaan-2 Mission, which was partially successful according to ISRO. During the previous lunar mission, the Vikram lander of Chandrayaan-2 experienced a crash while attempting a soft landing on the Moon's surface due to a technical glitch. However, scientists are now more optimistic about achieving a safe soft landing with Chandrayaan-3, as they have made specific changes to the spacecraft to prevent a recurrence of past mistakes.