India’s mission to the moon, Chandrayaan 3, is nearly over

New Delhi Sep 26 (Online): India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission to land on the South Pole of the Moon is almost over as scientists have not been able to retrieve its lander and rover so far.

Chandrayaan 3 mission landed in the south pole of the moon in the last decade of August.

After the success of the mission, India became the fourth country in the world to make a soft landing on the moon, while it became the first country to reach the south pole of the moon. At launch, the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover were put into sleep mode so that their electrical equipment would not be damaged during the lunar night. One lunar night is equivalent to 14 Earth days, during which the temperature drops to minus 250 degrees.

By switching them to sleep mode, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) scientists expected that the lander and rover could be reactivated after the end of the night on the moon. Both are solar-powered, so the scientists expected sunlight to recharge their batteries.

But ISRO scientists have not been able to contact the lander and rover so far and say that the chances of their recovery are slim.