ISRO’s Bold Attempt to Revive Chandrayaan-3’s Lander and Rover
Image Source: The Wire
As a new lunar day dawns, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is embarking on a daring mission to awaken the dormant lander and rover modules of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon.
ISRO officials are planning to revive the lander and rover modules, along with their onboard instruments, during the coming days when optimal sunlight is available for the task.
The chances of success are uncertain, but there’s still hope that the lander and rover modules could awaken and perhaps regain partial functionality.
Typically, spacecraft designed to endure lunar nights come equipped with onboard heating systems. Chandrayaan-3, however, was initially not intended to survive beyond a single lunar day.
Despite this, ISRO decided to take a calculated risk to prolong the mission. They intentionally powered down the instruments a bit earlier than lunar sunset and placed them in sleep mode. The hope is that the fully charged batteries will maintain the instruments’ warmth during the frigid lunar night.
If the lander and rover awaken fully operational, they could extend the mission’s scientific data collection for at least another 14 Earth days. This would provide valuable insights into the Moon’s composition and environment.
Chandrayaan-3 has already produced exciting new data, including a unique temperature profile of the lunar topsoil near the South Pole, thanks to the CHaSTE (Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment) instrument.
In a surprising move, just before entering sleep mode, the lander module executed a ‘hop experiment,’ briefly lifting off the lunar surface and landing safely a short distance away. This experiment showcased ISRO’s capability to maneuver the lander, a skill vital for future missions that might involve returning lunar samples to Earth.
Team Profile
Latest entries
News28 September 2023Mars Exploration: Perseverance Rover Masters Autonomous Navigation
News28 September 2023Polar Axes Arctic Records Sixth-Lowest Ice Cover; Antarctic Substantiations Record Low Growth
News28 September 2023NASA’s Bennu Sample: Unlocking the Secrets of Life on Earth and Preventing Cosmic Collisions- News25 September 2023Chandrayaan-3’s Pragyan Rover Offers Lunar Soil Insights with Unclear Imprints
