 "Chandrayaan-3 Lander, ISRO")
The Pragyan rover of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, currently stationed on the lunar surface, was deliberately placed in "sleep mode" by the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) on September 2. The announcement came via a tweet on Isro's official page on X (formerly Twitter).
The post read, "Chandrayaan-3 Mission: The Rover completed its assignments. It is now safely parked and set into Sleep mode. APXS and LIBS payloads are turned off. Data from these payloads is transmitted to the Earth via the Lander... The solar panel is oriented to receive the light at the next sunrise expected on September 22, 2023... Hoping for a successful awakening for another set of assignments! Else, it will forever stay there as India's lunar ambassador."
Chandrayaan-3 Mission:
The Rover completed its assignments.
It is now safely parked and set into Sleep mode.
APXS and LIBS payloads are turned off.
Data from these payloads is transmitted to the Earth via the Lander.
Currently, the battery is fully charged.
The solar panel is…
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— ISRO (@isro) September 2, 2023
What is the rover in sleep mode?
According to Isro's update, the Pragyan rover has successfully completed all its assignments. Therefore, it will remain on temporary hiatus until September 22.
Once the rover's solar panels receive sunlight, which is expected around September 22, Isro will attempt to reawaken the rover and continue its exploration of the lunar surface. Upon its successful awakening, the rover will be given a new set of assignments.
Isro stated, "Currently, the battery is fully charged. The solar panel is oriented to receive light at the next sunrise expected on September 22, 2023. The receiver is kept on."
What assignments has the rover completed so far?
Upon Chandrayaan-3's successful landing on the south pole of the Moon, the rover was deployed to explore its surface. The integrated cameras on the rover sent back videos of the environment. The exploration mission was set to last about two weeks.
On August 25, Isro posted a video of the rover leaving the Vikram lander and driving onto the Moon. Two scientific instruments had been turned on and the rover had moved eight meters. Isro had added, "A two-segment ramp facilitated the roll-down of the rover. A solar panel enabled the rover to generate power."
On August 26, a new video posted by Isro showed the rover driving nearly out of sight of the Vikram lander. Following this, on August 27, two photos of a large crater were posted in the rover's path. However, the rover was able to head safely down a new path, continuing its exploration.
On August 30, the rover took a picture of the Vikram lander showing its two payloads with the caption, "Smile, please". The Lander's payloads, Chaste and ILSA, have been deployed.
How does the rover conduct its analysis?
The Pragyan rover is equipped with two payloads: the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) and the Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS). These are crucial in conducting scientific investigations on the Moon's surface. These payloads are specifically designed to scrutinise and analyse the elemental and mineralogical composition of the lunar soil and rocks.
As per Isro's latest update, the APXS and LIBS payloads, which are responsible for transmitting valuable data back to Earth through the Lander, have been powered down during the rover's sleep mode.
How successful has the Chandrayaan-3 mission been so far?
Since its successful landing on August 23, the rover has diligently carried out its mission objectives by confirming the presence of essential elements on the lunar surface. The LIBS payload on the Pragyan rover has discovered the presence of aluminium, sulphur, calcium, iron, chromium, titanium, manganese, silicon and oxygen.
The Vikram lander also recorded a "moonquake" on August 26. It also found a super-thin layer of plasma in the Moon's atmosphere. Due to this characteristic, the Moon may react very differently to solar flares as compared to Earth.
How close is Isro to finding water on the Moon?
According to a report by Mint, the discovery of oxygen and sulphur on the Moon is a pivotal step towards finding water on the Moon. Isro is working towards finding hydrogen on the Moon.
The discovery of sulphur can help scientists better understand volcanic activity of the Moon which points towards the potential presence of subterranean lunar water.
