The head of the Indian Space Agency commented on the possibility of the end of the mission of the mobile robot on the moon.
The head of the Indian Space Agency did not appear concerned about the robot’s “lack of response,” stressing in a press statement on Thursday night that this vehicle “achieved what was required of it.”
The “Pragyan” (meaning “wisdom” in Sanskrit), a six-wheeled vehicle powered by solar energy, completed a scientific mission at the south pole of the moon before its activity stopped at the beginning of the lunar night, which lasts for about two weeks.
The Indian Space Research Organization planned to extend the “Pragyan” mission by restarting it as soon as light returns to the moon’s surface, but the machine has not yet shown interaction.
PTI news agency quoted the head of the Indian Space Research Organisation, S. Somnath said, “There is nothing wrong with the robot not reactivating, because it has already accomplished what was required of it.”
The organization confirmed last week, via the “X” website (formerly Twitter), that it was trying in vain to “reestablish contact with the Vikram landing gear vehicle and the mobile robot Pragyan.”
She said she had not received “any signal from them yet.”
According to the Indian Space Agency, the mission of the vehicle was to explore the south pole of the moon and transmit images and scientific data to Earth for two weeks.
The data collected by the Indian robot confirmed the presence of sulfur, aluminum, calcium, iron, chromium and titanium on the surface of the moon, the Indian Space Research Organization announced in a statement. Other data showed the presence of manganese, silicon and oxygen.
On August 23, India succeeded in making the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft land near the south pole of the moon, joining only three countries that had preceded it in this achievement: Russia, the United States, and China.
In 2014, India became the first Asian country to place a probe in Mars orbit.
India is scheduled to launch a three-day manned mission into Earth’s orbit next year.
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