The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning to launch its Chandrayaan-3 mission to the Moon in November 2023. The mission will carry a rover that will explore the lunar surface.
ISRO Chairman S. Somanath has said that the rover will be put into a sleep mode after landing on the Moon to conserve energy. The rover will be awakened during the lunar day to conduct experiments and explore the lunar surface.
“We have to put the rover to sleep during the lunar night because the temperature is very low and the solar panels will not be able to generate enough power,” Somanath said. “We will wake it up during the lunar day to conduct experiments and explore the lunar surface.”
Somanath said that the rover will be able to sleep for up to 14 Earth days at a time. He added that the rover will be equipped with a thermal protection system to keep it warm during the lunar night.
The Chandrayaan-3 rover will be equipped with a variety of scientific instruments, including a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy instrument to study the composition of the lunar soil and rocks, and a thermal imaging camera to study the lunar surface temperature.
The rover is expected to explore the lunar surface for at least one lunar day, which is equivalent to two Earth weeks.
Somanath said that the Chandrayaan-3 mission is a complex one, but ISRO is confident of success. He added that the mission will help India to become a leader in lunar exploration.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
