The history of the Indian moon is now dormant, but its success was great | CNN

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After completing a historic landing on the moon, placing India in a small club of countries that have safely landed a spacecraft on the moon, the Chandrayaan-3 lander is now sleeping – resting on the night of the 14th month before the mission commanders try to revive the spacecraft at the end of this month.

The main objectives of the mission have now been successfully checked in the range, cementing the legacy of the Chandrayaan-3 lander in the history of exploration. For nearly two weeks, the astronaut conducted technology demonstrations and data collection mainly focused on analyzing the composition of the moon’s surface and thin atmosphere.

The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft landed on the lunar surface on August 23. The safe touchdown made India the fourth country in the world to complete such a mission, following the former Soviet Union, the United States and China. So far in the 21st Century, only China and India have landed on the moon.

It also marked the first exploration mission near the southern half of the moon, an area of ​​great scientific and strategic importance to the world’s space forces because it is believed to be home to deposits of water ice. The source could be harvested and turned into drinking water or rocket fuel for future missions exploring deep into the cosmos.

In India, the Chandrayaan-3 mission has been hailed as a matter of national pride. More than 70 million people watched the arrival online, and thousands more crowded into viewing halls and viewing groups across the country.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi says: “Our tireless scientific efforts will continue to develop a better understanding of the Universe for the welfare of all mankind,” India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. posted on social media on September 2, to celebrate the Chandrayaan-3 mission and the recent launch of India’s first spacecraft dedicated to studying the sun.

The Indian Space Research Organization, or ISRO, confirmed on Monday, September 4, that the Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander has been put into sleep mode, as the spacecraft is not designed to continue collecting scientific data while its landing site is on Earth. shadow, or moonlit night.

But the space agency hopes the lander – and the small six-wheeled rover it used – will be resurfaced later this month, on September 22.

A look back at Chandryaan-3

The landing of Chandrayaan-3 in August came just days after Russia failed in its attempt to land a similar spacecraft, Luna-25, near the surface of the moon. Standing in contrast to the failure of Luna-25, the Chandrayaan-3 vehicle almost immediately began sending updates on its achievements.

A day after the landing, ISRO confirmed that the Chandryaan-3 Lander had successfully launched a six-wheeled lunar rover that rode on the surface and was embedded inside the spacecraft’s body.

It was launched by rolling down a small ramp before going “in search of the moon’s secrets at the South Pole,” ISRO said on X, a website formerly known as Twitter.

In total, this lander, which weighs about 1,700 kilograms (3,748 pounds), and 26 kilograms (57.3 kilograms) is packed with nearly a dozen scientific instruments. They include a laser that can analyze the chemical composition of the moon’s regolith – helping to hunt for water ice – and the ultra-thin layer of gases that make up the moon’s exosphere. The rover also had a seismometer that tried to detect earthquakes in the center of the moon.

ISRO confirmed that all equipment was “functioning normally” during the mission.

The space agency has shared sporadic updates on social media, posting a first impression of the various areas of data collected by the lander and the rover, which has been able to travel a total of more than. 100 meters (330 feet) over the surface of the moon and was able to take photos of the lander during its transit.

Another test measured the surface temperature of the moon at different depths, and ISRO scientist BHM Darukesha told local media, PTI, that the surface was warmer than expected.

We all believed that the temperature would be about 20 to 30 degrees centigrade (68 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit) at the surface but it is actually 70 degrees centigrade (158 degrees Fahrenheit). This is surprisingly higher than what we expected,” he said.

The rover also detected an earthquake using an instrument designed to measure thunder and earthquakes underground, and the rover used a spectroscope to confirm the presence of sulfur near the surface of the moon. Scientists will now focus on investigating how this material got there and whether it is naturally present on the surface or was deposited there by a meteor strike or volcano. according to ISRO.

ISRO put the rover to rest on September 2, however solar panels they were intended to catch the first rays of the sun as the moon returns to the afternoon later this month.

“I hope to wake up successfully in another set of assignments! Or, it will remain there forever as India’s lunar ambassador,” ISRO posted in X.

But the groundskeeper was not finished. It accomplished another feat on September 4, firing its engines to lift itself about 40 centimeters (16 inches) off the ground and making a small hop to land about 30 to 40 centimeters (12 inches to 16) from where it was.

ISRO emphasized the importance of this technology demonstration, noting that the ability to return soil to the lunar surface will be essential for future missions aimed at returning soil samples – or astronauts – back home after a lunar mission.

Soon after, the lander joined the rover, entering its sleep and awaiting its awakening when the sun returned to its resting place.

It is not yet certain whether the lander and the rover will, in fact, function properly when mission managers attempt to return it later this month.

But all the major objectives of ISRO set for this mission have been achieved.