The rover Pragyan from the Chandrayaan-3 mission has completed its responsibilities, according to a statement from the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). The rover has been safely parked and put into sleep mode, according to a statement from ISRO on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Right now, the battery is fully charged. When the next sunrise is expected on September 22, 2023, the solar panel will be ready to receive light. ISRO reports that the receiver is still turned on.
On Saturday, Pragyan traveled more than 100 meters across the lunar surface, finishing all of its tasks.
The data from each payload is sent to the Earth via the Vikram lander while Pragyan slumbers with the moon’s sunset, according to ISRO.
When the sun rises again on the moon, which is anticipated to occur on September 22, the solar panel will be illuminated. Even though Vikram and Pragyan were only intended to live for one lunar day, they might awaken the following morning. “Wishing for an effective awakening for a new set of tasks. Otherwise, it would remain there permanently as India’s lunar envoy, according to the space agency.
In the south polar region, where Chandrayaan-3’s lander Vikram touched down, the 26-kg, six-wheeled, solar-powered rover Pragyan is outfitted to use its scientific instruments to record what the lunar soil and rocks are made of.
The APXS instrument is the ideal choice for in-situ analysis of the elemental composition of soil and rocks on the surface of planetary planets with little atmosphere, like the Moon. Investigations using APXS have revealed the presence of intriguing minor elements, such as sulphur, in addition to the important anticipated elements like aluminum, silica, calcium, and iron.
Sulphur is present, as the Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) sensor of the rover has already discovered.
The Pragyan rover is equipped with two payloads, the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) and the Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS).