India’s moon rover, part of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, has been powered down following its successful completion of a two-week mission, during which it conducted various experiments in the lunar south pole region, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced. The Pragyan rover has been “set into Sleep mode” with charged batteries and an active receiver, ISRO stated on X (formerly Twitter) late Saturday. ISRO expressed hopes for a future reawakening for further tasks or, if not, the rover will remain India’s lunar ambassador.
India’s achievement of landing on the moon, joining the ranks of the United States, China, and the former Soviet Union, was particularly noteworthy for reaching the challenging south pole region, a milestone reached shortly after Russia’s Luna-25 mission faced a similar attempt.
The successful and precise landing of Chandrayaan-3’s rover in 2023, following a failed attempt in 2019, was celebrated as one of India’s greatest scientific accomplishments. The mission’s Pragyan rover travelled more than 100 metres (330 feet) and confirmed the presence of various elements such as sulphur, iron, and oxygen on the lunar surface, according to ISRO.
India now sets its sights on another space endeavour, launching a probe on Saturday to study the sun and observe solar winds, which can cause disturbances on Earth, often seen as auroras. ISRO reported that the satellite is in good health and in Earth’s orbit as it embarks on its 1.5 million-kilometre (930,000-mile) journey.