Chandrayaan-3's Vikram Lander, Pragyan Rover to wake up today: All you need to know

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is gearing up to attempt re-establishing communication with Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander and Pragyan rover on Friday , September 22. This comes after they were transitioned into sleep mode due to the onset of a lunar night, following a successful hop experiment. 

Transitioning to sleep mode: a power-saving measure

As the lunar mission entered a period of darkness, ISRO made the 'strategic' decision to transition the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover into sleep mode to conserve power. However, the receivers of the lander were kept active, as stated By Isro officials ,enabling the collection of crucial data. Now, ISRO stands on the verge of re-establishing communication after this two-week lunar night.

Lunar dawn: What Vikram and Pragyan will be doing?

Vikram and Pragyan, integral components of the mission, rely on solar energy harnessed by attached panels. Their primary operational phase coincided with the lunar day, which began on August 23. This phase ensures a steady supply of sunlight, vital for their functioning. However, the 14-day lunar night presented a significant challenge, with temperatures plummeting to a chilling minus 180 degrees Celsius, rendering technology inert in the absence of sunlight.

Despite these formidable conditions, ISRO remains optimistic. M Srikanth, Chandrayaan-3 mission operations director, expressed confidence in the performance and system health of Vikram and Pragyan, raising hopes for their reactivation after the lunar night passes.He said,”, "The performance of Vikram and Pragyan so far and the overall health of all systems have increased hopes of the two coming back to life after the night passes."

During the lunar night, survival strategies are two-fold. While batteries possess ample capacity to handle short eclipses, they lack the potency to maintain warmth throughout the prolonged night, resulting in dormancy. Srikanth explained, "Our batteries have sufficient capacity to tackle small eclipses, but they are not powerful enough to keep the systems warm throughout a lunar night." With the lunar dawn the lander, equipped with large solar panels, faces a relatively straightforward task. In contrast, the rover, with its deployable solar panel, demands precise positioning for optimal sunlight exposure, critical for reactivation.

Lunar milestones achieved: Temparature flux, sulphur detected, and a cheeky hop

The Chandrayaan-3 mission has exceeded its objectives, according to ISRO officials, placing India among the ‘league of nations’ with successful lunar landings. The  hop experiment executed by the Vikram lander on September 4 not only showcases ISRO's technical prowess but also paves the way for future sample return and human missions on the Moon.The experiment also made India the only country to Hop on Moon and  fist to do so on the lunar south-pole

The significance of the mission lay not only in the successful landing but also in the choice of landing site—the uncharted south pole of the Moon. This region, characterised by extreme temperature fluctuations, Substantiated by ISRO’s CHASTE, holds a substantial reservoir of water ice, crucial for sustaining future space exploration endeavours.

Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander and Pragyan rover were entrusted with a range of tasks, including probing for the presence of water ice in lunar craters and recording relative temperatures. Notably, the mission confirmed the presence of sulphur and other minor elements, utilising advanced instruments like LIBS and APXS.These achievements not only mark a significant milestone for India but also pave the way for future endeavours in lunar exploration.

Highlights of ISRO’s mission on the lunar surface so far:

• August 23, 2023- Chandrayaan-3 successfully soft-landed on the moon.

• August 24, 2023- Chandrayaan-3 Rover ramped down from the Lander and India took a walk on the moon! For the first time

• August 27, 2023- ChaSTE on Vikram Lander reveals major fluctuations in Moon's temperatures: Crater sides 40°C above zero, sunlit areas over 50°C, regolith-covered surface 40-50°C, -10°C 80mm below.

• August 28, 2023- LIBS confirms the presence of Sulphur (S) on the lunar surface through ‘unambiguous’ in-situ measurements.

• August 30, 2023- APXS on-board Ch-3 rover confirms the presence of Sulphur and detects the presence of other minor elements: excluding Sodium (NA), Potassium (K) and Hydrogen(H).

• August 31, 2023-  ILSA listens to the movements around the landing site.MEMS records lunar movements, captures mysterious natural event for investigation. Ensuingly, RAMBHA-LP on-board Chandrayaan-3 measures near-surface plasma content.Chandrayaan-3's RAMBHA-LP makes historic measurements of sparse Lunar plasma near south pole, aiding communication and lunar mission design

•  September 04, 2023- Successful Hop on Moon, Vikram firing its propulsion module hoped approximately around 40 cm from the lunar surface. Following the success, the lander and rover were put to sleep, awaiting their awakening Today.