ISRO Delays Attempt to Revive Chandrayaan 3; Uncertainty Surrounds Lander and Rover’s Fate

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has chosen to postpone its efforts to reactivate the lander and rover of Chandrayaan 3, which have been in sleep mode. Nilesh Desai, Director of Space Application, cited multiple factors behind this decision. Originally, the awakening was scheduled for yesterday evening.

The lander and rover, which successfully landed on the moon on August 23, initially performed as planned. However, as the moon’s surface entered darkness on September 2, the rover was placed in sleep mode, followed by the lander on September 4. The lunar surface saw sunlight again on September 20, but the past two weeks witnessed unexpectedly frigid conditions at the South Pole, with temperatures plummeting to minus 250 degrees.

The lander and rover are equipped with batteries capable of enduring such extreme cold, but the status of their equipment remains uncertain. Today’s assessments will reveal their functionality. ISRO highlights that successfully reawakening these instruments would be a significant achievement.

Both the lander and rover were originally intended for a two-week mission. The rover was slated to travel 350 meters across the lunar surface, but it covered only 105 meters before being retracted into the lander and placed in sleep mode.