Within just ten days of successfully achieving a soft landing with Chandrayaan-3 near the Lunar South Pole, making India the pioneering nation in this endeavor, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has embarked on a mission to study the Sun from a considerable distance. As Chandrayaan-3 approaches the conclusion of its planned operational life (14 Earth days, equivalent to one Lunar day) and prepares to enter a dormant phase, it falls upon Aditya-L1 to remain active and embark on its 125-day journey to Lagrange Point 1, where it will commence observations of the Sun.
Chandrayaan-3 executed a soft landing on August 23, while the Aditya-L1 mission assumed its designated elliptical orbit around 1:00 pm (local time) on Saturday, August 2. Over the past ten days, the Chandrayaan-3 lander and rover have diligently conducted in-situ experiments with their respective scientific instruments and have shared the acquired data. Nevertheless, the lunar night is fast approaching, posing a challenge for the Vikram Lander and Pragyan Rover, which rely on solar power. During the forthcoming fortnight-long lunar night, their operations will be suspended.
Dr. S Somanath, Chairman of ISRO, revealed, “The Chandrayaan-3 Lander and Rover are functional, and our payload teams are conducting all the work… The Rover has covered a distance of 100 meters from the lander… In a day or two, we will initiate the process of placing the lander and rover in a dormant state to withstand the impending lunar night.”
The Lunar day’s temperature can average around 120 degrees Celsius (significantly higher than water’s boiling point or more than twice the hottest recorded temperatures on Earth), while Lunar nights can plummet to as low as -130 degrees Celsius (nearly twice the lowest temperature recorded on Earth). In the vicinity of the Lunar poles, these temperature extremes could be even more severe.
ISRO’s hint at placing the Chandrayaan-3 lander and rover into hibernation mode suggests that the Indian space agency possesses technological means and optimism regarding Vikram and Pragyan’s survival during the lunar night. If the mission were to conclude after the Lunar day, ISRO could have stated a permanent farewell to the lander and rover.
By deactivating all onboard equipment, entering hibernation mode, and employing thermal protection measures (similar to using a blanket), ISRO may enhance the chances of Chandrayaan-3’s survival during the Lunar night. When Lunar dawn breaks again (around the third week of September), the lander and rover, if they endure, can harness solar power to recharge their batteries and continue their mission. Although not guaranteed, this could significantly benefit ISRO’s exploration endeavors in the Lunar South Pole region, which India currently has the privilege of exploring. However, both the lander and rover must endure the lunar night to resume normal operations.
This is because the lander craft serves as the primary and direct communication link with Earth. If the lander loses direct communication, it may potentially use the services of the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter to relay its communications to Earth and receive new commands. However, the 26-kilogram rover relies entirely on the lander for receiving commands, conducting communications, and transferring data.
M. Sankaran, Director of ISRO’s UR Rao Satellite Centre, expressed, “We hope it will return after the lunar night, but it is not guaranteed. This is because all systems will experience temperatures as low as minus 150 degrees Celsius, which significantly exceeds the survival limit of many materials used on the lander craft. By design, it is intended to operate for 14 days, but if we are fortunate, it may last longer.”
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