In a recent development, Director of MP Birla Planetarium Kolkata, Debiprasad Duari, lauded ISRO for locating the Vikram Lander and stated that the space agency has completed a complex task and will now continue to build contact with the lander. Vikram, with rover 'Pragyan' housed inside it, lost communication with the ground-stations during its final descent, just 2.1 km above the lunar surface, in the early hours of Saturday.

"It is wonderful news that the Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft has located Vikram Lander on the surface of the moon. It was a very complex job. Now ISRO needs to establish communications with the lander and make it functional," said Duari.

READ | ISRO continues efforts to re-establish communication with Vikram

Duari Still Hopeful 

He further expressed hopes of ISRO being able to build contact with the lander soon and said-

"Once the communication is set up, the scientists will assess the condition of the lander to see whether they can operate it. ISRO has been desperately trying to contact Vikram Lander."

Earlier, ISRO Chief K Sivan had also confirmed that attempts are still being made to establish contact with the Vikram lander. The space agency had lost communication with the lander just before the soft-landing on the South Pole region of the moon. The orbiter had also clicked a thermal image of the lander.

READ | ISRO reveals 'Vikram in a single piece, in a tilted position' on Moon

ISRO's efforts to re-establish communication 

ISRO is making all-out efforts to see whether communication can be re-established with the lander. Earlier, ISRO Chairman K Sivan had said, "The space agency would try to restore a link with the lander for 14 days. We have found the location of the Vikram lander on the lunar surface and the orbiter has clicked a thermal image of the lander. We are trying to establish contact. It will be communicated soon." Although the success criteria were defined for each and every phase of the mission and to date 90 to 95% of the mission objectives have been accomplished and will continue contributing to Lunar science, notwithstanding the loss of communication with the Lander.

READ | ISRO Spirit running in India, last 100 seconds were powerful: PM Modi

READ | PM Modi hails 'ISRO spirit' while addressing the crowd in Haryana

(Inputs from ANI)