Revealed: What happens if Chandrayaan-3 lander and rover don't wake up to signal on September 22

ISRO assured that the battery of the lander-rover duo remains fully charged and the solar panel is positioned to harness the incoming sunlight during the upcoming lunar sunrise, expected on September 22, 2023.

In the realm of space exploration, a significant moment is approaching as the Chandrayaan-3 lander and rover are set to awaken from their two-week-long lunar night. This development comes as the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) made an announcement on September 2, confirming the safe landing of the lander Vikram and rover Pragyan in sleep mode, alongside the deactivation of their scientific instruments.

Prior to entering this dormant state, the lander executed a brief "hop," utilizing its thrusters to move approximately 16 inches across the lunar surface.

ISRO assured that the battery of the lander-rover duo remains fully charged and the solar panel is positioned to harness the incoming sunlight during the upcoming lunar sunrise, expected on September 22, 2023. The receiver remains active to receive signals.

Furthermore, the space agency had also said that if they do not wake up on September 22, then they "will forever stay there as India's lunar ambassador."

The successful hop experiment by the Vikram lander was highlighted by ISRO, indicating that it had exceeded its mission objectives.

The primary goals of Chandrayaan-3, India's third lunar mission, encompassed a secure and gentle landing, rover exploration on the moon's surface, and the execution of in-situ scientific experiments.

Since its successful soft landing on August 23, the Vikram lander has been stationed at the Shiv Shakti point near the moon's South Pole. This historic achievement marked India as the first country to achieve a soft landing on the lunar surface, effectively dispelling the disappointment stemming from the Chandrayaan-2's crash landing four years ago. India joined the ranks of the United States, China, and Russia as the fourth nation to successfully land on the moon.