Chandrayaan-3 mission: No hope left for Vikram lander and Pragyan rover? What lies ahead for ISRO

Chandrayaan-3 mission has been a resounding success for ISRO. And now, renowned space scientist and former ISRO chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar has indicated that there is no hope left for the reactivation of the Chandrayaan-3 Vikram lander and Pragyan rover. This revelation, made on Friday, is seen as a potential conclusion to India’s third lunar mission. Kiran Kumar, who remains closely connected to the mission through ISRO, stated that there is no expectation for Vikram or Pragyan to come alive and revive the Chandrayaan-3 mission for ISRO. If it were to happen, it would have occurred by now, it has been indicated.

The Ambitious Chandrayaan-3 Mission

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had announced on September 22 that efforts were being made to establish contact with the solar-powered Vikram lander and Pragyan rover after the commencement of the new lunar day. However, they had mentioned that no signals had been received from them as of then, and efforts to establish contact would continue, Prabhat Khabar reported.

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Chandrayaan-3 Mission’s Success and Lunar Exploration Impact

With the Chandrayaan-3 mission, India achieved a historic soft landing on the south pole of the Moon on August 23, becoming the fourth country in the world to do so after the United States, the former Soviet Union, and China. This accomplishment marked a significant milestone in India’s space exploration endeavours.

ISRO had placed the lander and rover in sleep mode on September 4 and September 2, respectively, in preparation for reactivation around the next lunar sunrise on September 22. Both Vikram lander and Pragyan rover were designed to operate for a lunar day, which is approximately 14 Earth days.

According toISRO officials, all 3 Chandrayaan-3 mission objectives, including a safe soft landing on the moon’s surface, showcasing the rover’s mobility on the moon, and conducting scientific experiments on the lunar surface, have been accomplished.

Regarding the significance of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, Kiran Kumar emphasised that India has unequivocally reached a region where no one else has ventured, providing valuable data. This information will be crucial for planning future missions and activities in that area.

When asked about the possibility of initiating missions related to lunar sample return, Kumar acknowledged the potential but did not specify a timeline, emphasising that it depends on how the overall plan shapes up and the availability of resources. Therefore, it remains challenging to provide a definite time frame for such a mission.

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