The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has reported that the Pragyan robot has completed its lunar journey and transitioned into a two-week slumber mode after its historic landing near the lunar south pole.
The Vikram landing station in the photo captured by the rover’s positioning camera. Image: ISRO.
The robot’s autonomous systems have been deactivated, and the data it collected has been transmitted back to Earth through the landing station. Both the robot and the Chandrayaan-3 mission’s landing station were designed to operate on the Moon for a single lunar day, equivalent to 14 Earth days, as reported by ABC News.
“Robot has successfully accomplished the assigned mission. Presently, it has safely stowed its wheels and gone into sleep mode with the fading of daylight at the lunar south pole,” ISRO shared in a statement on September 2nd. “Its battery is fully charged now. Solar panels are oriented to receive sunlight during the next lunar sunrise, expected on September 22, 2023. The signal receiver remains functional. It is hoped that the robot may wake up successfully for its future missions.”
ISRO has not disclosed the findings related to the search for signs of frozen water on the Moon’s surface, which could be valuable for future astronaut missions, serving as both drinking water and potential rocket fuel. Earlier this week, ISRO announced that the Pragyan robot had confirmed the presence of sulfur and detected several other elements. The robot’s laser-induced breakdown spectroscope also identified aluminum, iron, calcium, chromium, titanium, manganese, oxygen, and silicon on Earth’s natural satellite.
According to the Indian Express, the robot’s electronic components were not designed to withstand the extremely low temperatures, dropping to as low as -120 degrees Celsius, during the lunar nights. The lunar night also lasts approximately 14 Earth days. Pallava Bagla, an author of several books on India’s space exploration, noted that the autonomous robot has limited battery power. The data transmitted back to Earth will be analyzed by Indian scientists before being shared with the international community.
When the Sun rises on the Moon, the robot may or may not wake up, depending on whether its electronic components survive the cold temperatures. Bagla stated, “The technology for making circuitry and electronic components that can withstand the extreme cold temperatures on the Moon is not available in India.”
After a failed landing attempt on the Moon in 2019, India, on August 23rd, became the fourth country to achieve this milestone, following the United States, the Soviet Union, and China. The mission began over a month ago with an estimated cost of $75 million USD. Operating since the 1960s, ISRO has launched satellites for India and numerous other countries while sending a spacecraft to Mars’ orbit in 2014. India is planning its first mission to the International Space Station next year in collaboration with the United States.