After completing several observations and sending some important findings, the Pragyaan rover, which has now travelled about 100 meters from the lander, and the Vikram lander, will both be put on sleep mode to survive the harsh lunar night.
According to a tweet by ISRO:
The Rover completed its assignments. It is now safely parked and set into Sleep mode.
APXS and LIBS payloads are turned off. Data from these payloads is transmitted to the Earth via the Lander.
Currently, the battery is fully charged. The solar panel is oriented to receive the light at the next sunrise expected on September 22, 2023. The receiver is kept on.
Hoping for a successful awakening for another set of assignments! Else, it will forever stay there as India’s lunar ambassador.
During its ten-day observation cycle, the rover has made some interesting discoveries. It has also encountered and safely bypassed a crater on the moon’s surface.
If there is reception at the end of the lunar night, then perhaps, more experiments can be conducted by the rover.
What is remarkable is that the rover has managed to cover a distance of over 100 meters in just 10 earth days. It has also been able to conduct in situ experiments.
Featured Image: Vikram as captured by Pragyaan. All images by ISRO