The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced that the rover Pragyan of the Chandrayaan-3 mission has completed its assignments and has been safely parked and set into sleep mode. The ISRO stated that the rover's APXS and LIBS payloads have been turned off, and data from these payloads is being transmitted to Earth via the lander. The battery of the rover is fully charged, and the solar panel has been oriented to receive light at the next sunrise, expected on September 22.
The rover Pragyan has already traversed over 100 metres from the lander Vikram on the moon's surface. ISRO chairperson S. Somanath confirmed that the lander and rover are functioning well, and the rover has moved 100 metres from the lander. He also mentioned that the process of putting the rover to sleep will begin in the coming days to ensure its survival during the lunar night.
The mission life of the lander and rover is one lunar day, or roughly 14 Earth days. They are equipped with scientific payloads to conduct experiments and measurements on the lunar surface. Since their landing on the moon on August 23, they have already performed various in-situ measurements and captured images.
During the lunar night, when the sun sets, the temperature on the moon can drop below minus 200 degrees Celsius. However, ISRO has conducted tests and believes that the battery and electronics of the rover will survive in such harsh conditions.
Overall, the Chandrayaan-3 mission has achieved significant progress with the completion of the rover's assignments and its safe parking in sleep mode. The rover has successfully moved away from the lander and conducted various experiments and measurements on the lunar surface. The mission is expected to continue for the duration of one lunar day, with the rover relying on its solar panel to generate power during the night.
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