Chandrayaan-3’s project director, P Veeramuthuvel, revealed on Tuesday that the Vikram lander’s hop experiment on the Moon was not part of the original mission plan of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Surprisingly, this manoeuvre surpassed the mission’s goals. As reported by India Today, Veeramuthuvel said that the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover collected valuable data during their 14-day mission on the Moon, offering significant insights into the lunar exploration.
During the impromptu hop experiment, the Vikram Lander fired its engines as commanded, elevating itself by approximately 40 centimetres before safely landing 30 to 40 centimetres away from its original location at Shiv Shakti Point. This achievement demonstrated the spacecraft's ability to take off from the Moon's surface, laying the groundwork for advanced space exploration, the report added.
As the lunar night descended upon the Moon's surface at Shiv Shakti Point on September 30, hopes for reviving Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram Lander and Pragyan Rover dwindled further. During the 14 Earth days (equivalent to one lunar day) before the onset of lunar night, the lander and rover conducted crucial experiments, gathering vital information.
Lunar night, lasting approximately 14 days brings complete darkness and temperatures plummeting to as low as -180 degrees Celsius on the Moon. The lander and rover, essential for the mission, rely on sunlight for their operations. After completing their initial tasks, the lander and the rover were put into sleep mode on September 2. Despite several attempts, reawakening the Vikram Lander and Pragyan Rover has proven to be a formidable challenge.
Before the lander and rover entered sleep mode on the Moon's surface, the mission's objectives were not only met but also exceeded our expectations, according to Veeramuthuvel.
“Our scientific objective is completely met, and in fact, it exceeded our expectations and this is why we are all very happy. Our director of URSC and chairman ISRO and all centre directors who have been guiding us are very satisfied,” Veeramuthuvel told India Today.
Chandrayaan-3 was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on July 14, 2023. After entering lunar orbit on August 5, the lander made a successful touchdown near the lunar South Pole on August 23. This achievement made India the fourth country to land on the Moon, and notably, the first to do so near the lunar South Pole.
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
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