Chandrayaan 3 Highlights: ISRO to try reactivation of Vikram lander tomorrow, says official

After an eventful month on the lunar surface, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is gearing up for a groundbreaking second phase in the Chandrayaan-3 mission. The Vikram Lander, along with its accompanying rover Pragyan, which successfully landed on the Moon on August 23, is set to enter Phase 2 of its mission after a brief period of rest and recharge.

The mission has now entered a nerve-wracking waiting period as ISRO scientists anticipate a unique and pivotal event: the awakening of Vikram and Pragyan. This momentous occasion is expected to unfold as the temperature on the moon rises to above minus 10 degrees Celsius, a condition that will activate the vital communication circuit known as the "wake-up circuit."

Responding to the discussion on the Moon mission in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said all efforts were being made to awaken Vikram and Pragyan from their sleep.

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The reactivation of Chandrayaan-3's Pragyan rover and Vikram lander, which was supposed to be carried out on Friday evening, has been postponed for Saturday due to several reasons, Director of Space Applications Centre Nilesh Desai said.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Desai said, “Earlier we planned to reactivate the rover and lander on the evening of 22nd September, but due to some reasons we will now do it tomorrow on 23rd September. We have a plan to take out the lander and rover from the sleep mode and reactivate it.”

Desai said that the plan was to reactivate the rover and lander in order to move the rover further on the Moon's surface. He said, “We had a plan to move the rover to almost 300-350 metres. But due to some reasons we couldn't. The rover has moved 105 metres till now. Last time, we moved it for 10 days on the surface of the moon.”

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Ahead of the second phase of the Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission, former Indian Space Research Organisation ISRO chief K Sivan expressed optimism and said that the success of the wakeup call regarding the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover is something which "we have to wait and see".

Speaking to ANI on the second phase of the Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission, the Ex-ISRO chief said, "The success of the wake-up call is something we will have to wait and see. Now the lunar day starts soon, so they will try to wake up soon. All the systems are functioning, it will be alright."

"It all depends on the system, there are mechanical systems, solar panels, batteries all these do not have a problem. However, the minute electric components like transmitters and receivers, whether they survive the cold temperature that we will have to see. If they survive, then definitely we will be able to wake them up," Sivan added.

The former ISRO Chief further added, "This is not the end, a lot more new sciences will come. The Chandrayaan 1 data brought a lot of discoveries, so I hope that a lot of new things will come. Scientists will keep on trying, and new findings will come."

ANI

In a similar attempt to make a soft landing on the lunar south pole, Russia sent Luna-25 to the Moon. The spacecraft reached the Moon's orbit in just 10 days, whereas India's Chandrayaan-3 took over a month. However, after a failed orbital maneuver, its lander crashed on the Moon's surface.

Roscosmos launched its Moon mission, Luna 25, for the lunar south pole on August 11, reviving Soviet Union-era lunar exploration missions. The mission aimed to study the composition of the lunar polar regolith (surface material) and the plasma and dust components of the lunar polar exosphere. It was scheduled to attempt a soft landing on the Moon on August 21, ahead of India's Chandrayaan 3 moon mission. However, communications were lost on August 19, and the lander reportedly crashed on the surface.

Later, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) managed to image the suspected crash site on August 24.

On reactivating Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander and Pragyan rover, Director of Space Applications Centre, Nilesh Desai says, “Earlier we planned to reactivate the (Pragyan) rover and (Vikram) lander on the evening of 22nd September, but due to some reasons we will now do it tomorrow on 23rd September. We have a plan to take out the lander and rover from the sleep mode and reactivate it...We had a plan to move the rover to almost 300-350 metres. But due to some reasons...the rover has moved 105 metres there.” (ANI)

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Please scroll down to know more about Chandrayaan-3 Mahaquiz being organised by Government of India.

The quiz that is being organised by the government of India in collaboration with ISRO is all about the country's historic achievement in exploring the Moon's surface.

The registrations for participating in this Chandrayaan-3 Mahaquiz began on September 1 and will go on until September 29. The MyGov official website says that one can win up to Rs. 6.25 lakh by taking part in this quiz.

• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), in collaboration with MyGov, invites the citizens to participate in the Chandrayaan 3 mahaquiz honouring India's amazing space exploration journey, to explore the wonders of the moon, and to demonstrate our love of science and discovery.

• To participate in the Chandrayaan 3 mahaquiz, the candidates need to create an individual account on MyGov. All participants will receive a participation certificate that can be downloaded, and the winners of the quiz will be rewarded with cash prizes.

The Indian space agency hopes to extend its Moon exploration for another 14 Earth days, equivalent to one lunar day, after reactivating Chandrayaan-3's lander, which entered sleep mode due to adverse weather conditions during the lunar night.

Our knowledge of the solar system and the moon has greatly expanded compared to the 1960s and 70s. Advancements in technology, such as faster data transmission and improved computing, coupled with the miniaturization of equipment, have transformed space exploration, making it more economical. Additionally, the involvement of private organisations, led by prominent figures like Elon Musk, has spurred ambitious initiatives in this field.

Before going into sleep mode, Pragyan rover's Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope confirmed the presence of sulphur in the lunar surface near the south pole, through the first-ever in-situ measurements. According to reports, the presence of sulphur on the moon is crucial for future lunar missions. Since sulphur originates from volcanic activities, its presence can tell us a lot about the moon's history and constituents.

The Pragyan rover also searched for hydrogen on the lunar surface along with the detection of Aluminium, Calcium, Ferrous (Iron), Chromium, Titanium, Manganese, Silicon and Oxygen as expected.

Following the successful Moon mission, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the Aditya-L1 spacecraft—the country’s maiden mission to study the Sun—from the spaceport in Sriharikota on September 2.

Aditya-L1 also began its 110-day journey to the Lagrange Point-1 of the Sun-Earth system, after the Indian space agency successfully performed the trans-Lagrangean Point insertion--a key manoeuvre that pushed the craft out of the Earth’s orbit--in the early hours of Tuesday.

A Ganesh Chathurthi pandal in Chennai has installed a Chandrayaan-3 rocket prototype. What’s more is that the prototype is not just a stationery display, but it is also movable. A video of the pandal is doing the rounds on social media and is leaving people amazed by the installation.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has released the much-anticipated video of the Pragyan rover ramping down from the Vikram lander and walking on the lunar surface on August 25. Check the detailed story on Pragyan Rover video

Somak Raychaudhury, an eminent astrophysicist currently serving as Vice-Chancellor at Ashoka University explains

Previous missions primarily explored the moon's northern hemisphere, but comparing it to exploring Africa versus Europe underscores the differences.

We have already unequivocally confirmed the presence of water on the moon. This knowledge stems from analyzing the spectrum of light emitted by the moon. One suspicion is that water may be concentrated in the moon's southern hemisphere, where elevated mountains, deep craters, and extensive shaded regions reside, devoid of sunlight and with temperatures as low as -200 degrees.

Taking up a discussion regarding the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission and other achievements of the nation in the space sector on Thursday, chairing the Session, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla congratulated the Nation on this stupendous achievement of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Birla observed that these achievements have made every Indian proud and the nation’s stature has increased at the global level.

Mentioning the historic day of August 23, 2023, Birla lauded the fact that India achieved a historic feat on that day by becoming the first country to land near the South Pole of the Moon.

"The success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission is a testament to the tireless commitment of Indian scientists and engineers who have striven continuously to reach the remotest regions of the universe," he added.

Somak Raychaudhury, an eminent astrophysicist currently serving as Vice-Chancellor at Ashoka University explains

The moon and Earth formed around the same time, approximately 4.5 billion years ago. Although they originated from the same material, their fluid states during formation led them to solidify with distinct structures. Notably, certain features present on Earth's surface also exist deep within the moon, and vice versa. Therefore, studying the moon can provide insights into our own planet's history.

"We'll be trying to revive both the lander as well as the rover on 22nd September, and if our luck is good, we will have a revival of both this lander and rover and we'll get some more experimental data which will be useful for us to further do the investigation of the Moon surface," says ISRO (SAC) Director Nilesh Desai.

PTI

Moon's faint atmosphere holds mysteries, landing and analysing air key to future lunar colonies and space exploration. Read our detailed report on Chandrayaan 3 importance

The Chandrayaan 3's Vikram lander was pictured by the Chandrayaan 2 orbiter on September 9 resting on the lunar surface near the Moon's South Pole, anticipating the arrival of sunrise. The hope is that when sunlight returns, the lander can reawaken, given that it withstands the ongoing harsh cold conditions.

Throughout its operational phase, Vikram Lander and Pragyan rover executed numerous lunar experiments:

1. Rover Exploration: Prior to activating the Pragyan rover's sleep mode, ISRO reported that it covered a distance of over 100 meters. Notably, the rover's communication range is limited to 500 meters from the Vikram lander.

2. Historic Sulphur Discovery: The Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) instrument onboard the rover unequivocally confirmed the presence of Sulphur (S) in the lunar surface near the south pole, representing a groundbreaking in-situ measurement. Additionally, LIBS detected Al, Ca, Fe, Cr, Ti, Mn, Si, and O.

3. Pioneering Plasma Measurements: The Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive Ionosphere and Atmosphere - Langmuir Probe (RAMBHA-LP) payload onboard Chandrayaan-3 Lander conducted groundbreaking measurements of the near-surface lunar plasma environment over the south polar region. Preliminary assessments suggest relatively sparse plasma near the lunar surface. These quantitative measurements hold promise for mitigating interference in radio wave communication and enhancing future lunar mission designs.

4. Seismic Activity Recording: The Instrument for the Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) payload on Chandrayaan 3 Lander, the first Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology-based instrument on the moon, recorded the movements of the rover and other payloads. Additionally, it captured an event on August 26, deemed to be of natural origin, which is currently under investigation.

5. Thermal Behaviour Exploration: The ChaSTE (Chandra's Surface Thermophysical Experiment) instrument measured the temperature profile of the lunar topsoil around the pole to better understand the thermal characteristics of the moon's surface. Equipped with a controlled penetration mechanism capable of reaching a depth of 10 cm beneath the surface and featuring 10 individual temperature sensors, the probe generated a temperature variation graph for the lunar surface/near-surface at various depths during its penetration. This marked the first such profile for the lunar south pole, with ongoing detailed observations.

6. Alternate Sulphur Confirmation: Another instrument onboard the rover corroborated the presence of Sulphur (S) in the region using a distinct technique. The Alpha Particle X-ray Spectroscope (APXS) detected S alongside other minor elements. This finding has prompted scientists to explore new theories regarding the source of Sulphur (S) in the area, including intrinsic, volcanic, meteoritic, and other possibilities.

As ISRO eagerly anticipates the reactivation of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, Madhavan Nair, the former chief of India's space agency, has elucidated what the Vikram lander might resemble during a lunar night. He said, "It is almost like taking something out of a freezer," stressing that there is a good chance for the system to become operational again despite the cold temperatures the modules have undergone.

In an interview with the news agency ANI, he said, “Vikram Lander and Pragyan Rover have been in a deep slumber for nearly two weeks now. It's akin to extracting something from a freezer and then attempting to use it. The temperatures would have dropped to below -150 degrees Celsius.”

ISRO is preparing to rouse the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover from their 'sleep mode' to expose them to the sun's rays after they were placed in this state upon completing their designated tasks.

ISRO directed the Chandrayaan-3 mission's Vikram Lander to reignite its engines, causing it to ascend by around 40 cm after it was soft landed at the Shiv Shakti Point. The Lander then executed a secure landing, positioning itself at a distance of 30 to 40 cm from the point.

Launched on July 14 as the fourth operational flight of the LVM3 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India's lunar mission achieved a successful lunar touchdown on August 23. 

ISRO has declared that by accomplishing the hop experiment, which involved ascending a few centimetres, the Vikram lander has effectively fulfilled all of its objectives.

The Vikram lander of Chandrayaan-3 achieved a safe landing, and the spot has been named ‘Shiv Shakti Point’. India's lunar mission successfully touched down on the lunar surface on August 23, well within its intended landing site. But why a 'soft landing'?

The south pole of the Moon is a challenging terrain for achieving a landing, which is why no country before India was able to land any lunar-oriented spacecraft in this region. 'Soft landing' refers to the process of slowing down the speed of the module that will touch down on the Moon's surface and checking if it is suitable for landing in that particular spot. Otherwise, it would result in a 'crash landing,' as happened with the lander in the Chandrayaan-2 mission, which later lost contact with the ground stations.

Landing on the moon's south pole would enable India to explore the presence of water ice on the moon, which is crucial for accumulating data and advancing lunar geological science.

Former ISRO Chairman K Sivan, ahead of the lunar day beginning on Friday said, "We have to wait and see. It has undergone a lunar night. Now the lunar day starts. So, now they will try to wake up. If all the systems are functioning, it will be alright...This is not the end, a lot more new Sciences will come. Even now the Chandrayaan-1's data has brought in a lot of discoveries. So, I hope that a lot of new things will come. Scientists will keep trying. So, this is not the end of the story."

Sivan was behind India's Chandrayaan 2, the country's first attempt to land a spacecraft to the Moon. Launched in 2019, it failed to achieve a soft landing on the lunar surface when it was just 2.1 km away. However, its Orbiter is still operational in lunar orbit and has been sending data related to the Moon. It recently shared images of Chandrayaan-3's lander at Shiv Shakti Point.