India’s lunar rover completed its walk on the lunar surface less than two weeks after landing and is now in “sleep” mode, AP reported, citing mission control.
Daylight on this part of the moon is coming to an end, the Indian Space Research Organization said in a statement.
The data collected by the rover was sent to Earth via the lander. The lander and rover were expected to operate for one lunar day, which is equal to 14 Earth days.
The Indian lunar rover sent a picture of the lander to Earth
“At present, the battery is fully charged. The solar panel is aimed to receive light from the next sunrise, which is expected on September 22, 2023. The receiver is switched on and hoping for a successful wake-up,” the Indian Space Organization said in a statement. research.
There is no information about the result of the search for frozen water on the surface of the Moon.
The Indian Express newspaper reported that the lunar mission’s electronics were not designed to withstand the very low temperatures of minus 120 degrees Celsius, which are the nighttime temperatures on the moon.
India has successfully landed its spacecraft on the moon
Pallava Bagla, co-author of books on Indian space missions, said the rover’s battery had limited power. It is not certain that the rover will wake up at sunrise because its electronics “die” at such low temperatures.
“Technology to create electronic circuits and components that can survive the low temperatures of the Moon does not exist in India,” Bagla added.