Chandrayaan-3: All eyes on Chandrayaan-3 as efforts to establish contact with the Chandrayaan-3’s lander Vikram and the Pragyan rover are underway. Yesterday, ISRO shared an update saying that it made efforts to establish communication with the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover to ascertain their wake-up condition, but as of now, no signals have been received from them. However, the space agency added that it would continue efforts to establish contact.
After a 40-day journey into space, the Chandrayaan-3 lander, ‘Vikram’, touched down on August 23 at the uncharted lunar South Pole making India the first country to do so. After transversing over 100 meters on the lunar surface from the Shiv Shakti Point, the touchdown spot of the lander Vikram on the lunar surface, the rover Pragyan was safely parked and set into sleep mode on September 2
Now that the Sun has risen again on the Moon, India is hopeful for the Chandrayaan-3 to ‘wake up’. “The solar panel is oriented to receive the light at the next sunrise expected on September 22, 2023. The receiver is kept on. Hoping for a successful awakening for another set of assignments!
Which launcher is used for Chandrayaan-3?
GSLV-Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle
The launcher used for Chandrayaan-3 is GSLV-Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle. Sol. The mass of the propulsion module used in Chandrayaan-3 is 2148 kg.
Will Chandrayaan-3 return to Earth?
“Chandrayaan -3 is not designed to return to the earth. Vikram and Pragyan will remain on the lunar surface.
Why Chandrayaan-3 is delayed?
Nilesh Desai, Director of Space Applications Centre, said that the delay was necessary in order to ensure the safety of the spacecraft. He said that the ISRO is still conducting tests and simulations to ensure that the reactivation procedure will be successful.
Will Vikram lander come back?
According to ISRO, there is some hope that both will be able to work again. The activation date of the Pragyan Rover and Vikram lander is set for September 22, 2023 when the sun will rise on the Moon’s south pole. Both the ISRO instruments are equipped with solar panels which are expected to be recharged after sunrise.
Which satellite is used in Chandrayaan-3?
LVM-3’s first successful mission was in 2017, when it carried the GSAT-19 satellite, a communication spacecraft, into space. Subsequently, the same launch vehicle put the Chandrayaan-2, weighing 3,850 kg, outside the Earth’s atmosphere in 2019. And last month, it was LVM-3 that took Chandrayaan-3 into space.
What are the future plans for Chandrayaan-3?
Chandrayaan-3 is part of a series of new missions heading moonward in 2023. Future plans for the Chandrayaan-3 mission include a possible partnership with Japan’s space agency to explore the lunar poles in 2025.
