The hopes of reviving the Chandrayaan-3 are slowly fading with the lunar night set to begin on September 30.
ISRO has been trying to reconnect with the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover since sunlight returned to the Shiv Shakti Point, however, the efforts have not shown any results.
The duo have been in the sleep mode since September 2. Now with the lunar night, which lasts for nearly 14 Earth days, set to begin tomorrow, the chances of reconnecting with the lander are fading. The lunar night is known to spread complete darkness and extreme cold with the temperatures dipping as low as minus 180 degrees Celsius.
The Vikram lander and Pragyan rover particularly depend on sunlight for its functions.
ISRO had hoped that the lander may survive the harsh conditions on the Moon.
Chandrayaan-3 had soft-landed on the Moon on August 23, after which the rover sent significant scientific data back to the Earth. However, neither the lander nor the rover are designed to return to the Earth.
“Hoping for a successful awakening for another set of assignments! Else, it will forever stay there as India's lunar ambassador,” ISRO had posted on X while the lander was put into sleep mode.
Chandrayaan-3's achivements
Earlier on August 31, the initial assessment of the first-ever measurements of the near-surface lunar plasma environment over the south pole region by RAMBHA-LP payload indicated that plasma is relatively sparse there. ISRO also released a video of the Chandrayaan-3 rover rotating in search of a safe route. The rotation was captured by a Lander Imager Camera. Meanwhile, Pragyan Rover has also confirmed the presence of Sulphur (S) on the lunar surface near the south pole, through first-ever in-situ measurements.
ALSO READ | It has done what it was expected to do: ISRO chief S Somanath on Pragyan rover
ALSO READ | Chandrayaan 3: ISRO says no contact with lander, efforts to wake up continue
