Chandrayaan-3: Pragyan Rover Goes Into 'Sleep Mode', Likely to Wake Up on Next Sunrise on Sep 22

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Saturday announced that the Pragyan rover aboard Chandrayaan-3 “completed its assignments” on the surface of the Moon and is now “safely parked and set into sleep mode”. The space agency further said that the “solar panel is oriented to receive the light at the next sunrise expected on September 22, 2023”.

“The Rover completed its assignments. It is now safely parked and set into Sleep mode. APXS and LIBS payloads are turned off. Data from these payloads is transmitted to the Earth via the Lander. Currently, the battery is fully charged. The solar panel is oriented to receive the light at the next sunrise expected on September 22, 2023. The receiver is kept on,” ISRO wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

“Hoping for a successful awakening for another set of assignments! Else, it will forever stay there as India’s lunar ambassador,” the space agency further said.

The latest development in the Chandrayaan-3 mission comes on the same day as ISRO successfully launched its first solar mission, Aditya L1 from the Sriharikota spaceport.

Earlier today, ISRO posted on X that Chandrayaan-3’s Pragyan Rover has traversed over 100 meters on the moon.

“Pragyan 100*..Meanwhile, over the Moon, Pragyan Rover has traversed over 100 meters and continuing,” the post said.

The mission — landed on the moon on August 23 — is set to conclude in the next seven days.