Contrary to hopes, two robotic vehicles remain in sleep mode in the lunar south pole region despite the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) attempting to wake them up.
The Vikram lunar lander on the surface of the Moon in a photo captured by the Pragyan rover. Photo: ISRO
According to the schedule, India’s Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander and rover were supposed to wake up around September 22nd. ISRO placed the duo on the Moon in August 2023. However, both the Vikram lander and the Pragyan rover run on solar power, requiring sunlight to charge their batteries and operate scientific equipment.
Both vehicles entered sleep mode in early September as night fell on the Moon, depleting their power reserves. The next sunrise on the Moon is expected on September 22nd. ISRO hopes the solar panels will recharge and wake up the duo. However, they have not responded to mission control messages.
At the end of August, mission operations director M. Srikanth expressed confidence that the lander and rover would come back to life after the lunar sunrise. “If that happens, it will be a big plus. In case they don’t, the mission is still complete,” said M. Srikanth. Despite M. Srikanth’s optimism, the two vehicles must contend with nighttime temperatures dropping to -203 degrees Celsius on the Moon, according to NASA. The lander and rover were not designed to endure such cold conditions.
The mission control team will continue sending messages. Even if ISRO’s lander and rover cannot be awakened, they have fulfilled their design objective, which is to explore the lunar south pole for 14 days after landing. In just two weeks, the two robots have made several important scientific discoveries. For example, the rover confirmed the presence of sulfur in the lunar south pole region.
Additionally, preliminary analysis revealed that the soil in this area contains aluminum, calcium, iron, chromium, titanium, and may have experienced seismic activity. India is the fourth country to land on the Moon, following the United States, the Soviet Union, and China, and the first to touch down near the lunar south pole. The lunar south pole has attracted much interest due to its water ice deposits, which could serve as a resource for producing oxygen for breathing and rocket fuel along with hydrogen.