Chandrayaan-3 phase 2: ISRO to wake up Vikram lander and Pragyan rover today

ISRO is set to start Chandrayaan-3 mission phase 2 as scientists are looking to wake up Pragyan rover and Vikram lander, says Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh.

Vikram lander made a safe and successful landing on the Moon on August 23, marking it as the biggest achievement for India and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).

Vikram lander and Pragyan rover conducted studies on the moon for 14 days and they were put in sleep mode on September 4, 2023, due to the beginning of the lunar night. They have been in darkness since.

Vikram lander and Pragyan rover were developed with solar panels and batteries, therefore, they were not built to function during the lunar night.

Therefore, the only option open for ISRO was to put the lander and rover in sleep mode so they could survive the -200 degree cold and darkness.

Today, ISRO scientists will attempt to activate the Vikram lander and rover as the Sun rises on the south pole of the Moon. It is expected they will be recharged with the Sun rays. 

According to Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh, "second phase of Chandrayaan-3 is about to take off in the next few hours"

He also added that if Vikram lander and Pragyan rover wake up, “India will become the first country where a rover and lander will sleep and wake up on the south pole of the Moon”

Still, the chances of activation of Vikram lander and Pragyan rover are very low, but scientists have hopes that they will be able to recharge themselves as soon as they get into optimum sunlight conditions.

Now, in a matter of hours, we’ll get to know if the Chandrayaan-3 mission continues its journey or not.

If they successfully start to work, then scientists will be able to extract more information about the lunar surface.