Chandrayaan 3’s Pragyan Rover completed its assignments, safely parked, put to sleep mode: ISRO | India – Gulf News
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced the successful completion of assignments by the Chandrayaan-3 mission’s rover, Pragyan. This rover, weighing 26 kg and equipped with scientific instruments, has been safely parked and put into sleep mode. ISRO has reported that the rover’s battery is fully charged, and it’s positioned to receive light at the next expected sunrise on September 22, 2023.
ISRO has turned off the APXS and LIBS payloads on the rover, with data from these instruments being transmitted to Earth via the lander Vikram. The APXS instrument is well-suited for analyzing the elemental composition of soil and rocks on celestial bodies with little atmosphere, like the Moon. Notably, it has discovered the presence of various minor elements, including sulphur, in addition to expected major elements like aluminium, silicon, calcium, and iron.
The Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) instrument on the rover has also confirmed the presence of sulphur on the lunar surface. ISRO expressed hope for a successful awakening of the rover for another set of assignments in the future; otherwise, it will remain as India’s lunar ambassador.
In summary, the Chandrayaan-3 mission’s rover, Pragyan, has completed its tasks and is now in a dormant state, awaiting potential future missions. This achievement marks another milestone in India’s lunar exploration efforts.
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