04 September,2023 03:31 PM IST | Bengaluru | mid-day online correspondent
Image used for representation purpose. File Photo
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Monday said that the Vikram lander successfully underwent a hop test when it made the soft landing again on the lunar surface. The space agency said that on command, the lander fired the engines and elevated itself by 40 cm as expected and landed safely at a distance of 30 to 40 cm away.
ISRO in an update on X (formerly Twitter) said that Vikram Lander exceeded its mission objectives and that the exercise was a âkick start' to future sample return and human missions. The space agency noted that all systems are healthy and that the payloads - ChaSTE and ILSA - were redeployed successfully after the hop experiment.
"Vikram soft-landed on the moon, again! Vikram Lander exceeded its mission objectives. It successfully underwent a hop experiment. On command, it fired the engines, elevated itself by about 40 cm as expected and landed safely at a distance of 30-40 cm away," ISRO said in a post.
"Importance: This 'kick-start' enthuses future sample return and human missions! All systems performed nominally and are healthy. Deployed Ramp, ChaSTE and ILSA were folded back and redeployed successfully after the experiment," the space agency added in their social media post.
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Vikram lander, Pragyan Rover in sleep mode
The space agency in their later update stated that Vikram Lander was put in sleep mode and the rover Pragyan has been in sleep mode since Saturday. The space agency said that the payloads were switched off and the "lander receivers are kept on". The agency also said that Vikram will fall asleep next to Pragyan once its solar power is depleted and the battery is drained. "Hoping for their awakening around September 22, 2023," said the space agency.
India scripted history after Vikram lander of Chandrayaan-3 soft-landed on the lunar surface on August 23. India became the fourth country after the United States of America, Russia and China to touch the lunar surface and the first ever to reach the south pole of the moon. The mission brought an end to the disappointment over the crash landing of Chandrayaan-2 four years ago.
