India Shuts Down Its Moon Explorer After Successful Mission At The Moon's South Pole

Pragyan, who is the first ride to reach the south pole of the moon. (photo: twitter @isro)

JAKARTA - India has shut down its lunar rover, Pragyan, which is the first ride to reach the Moon's south pole. According to the country's space agency, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), this was done, after completing its two-week mission in conducting experiments.

The Pragyan rover from the Chandrayan-3 vehicle is "placed in sleep mode" but with charged batteries and active recipients, ISRO said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday 2 September.

Chandrayaan-3 Mission:🏏Pragyan 100*Meanwhile, over the Moon, Pragan Rover has traversed over 100 meters and continuing. pic.twitter.com/J1jR3rP6CZ

— ISRO (@isro) September 2, 2023

Chandrayan-3 Mission: 'Pregiant 100* Meanwhile, over the Moon, Pragan Rover has traced over 100 meters and continued.pic.twitter.com/J1jR3rP6CZ

"We hope to be successfully awakened for a series of other tasks!" said ISRO. "Or, he will remain there forever as an ambassador to the moon from India."

By landing on the moon, India joined the United States, China, and the former Soviet Union. India even managed to reach an hard-to-reach south pole, shortly after Russia's Luna-25 failed in a similar attempt.

Chandrayaan-3's gentle and procedural landing after a failed experiment in 2019 sparked widespread excitement in the country with the largest population in the world. The media called this landing India's biggest scientific achievement.

Pragyan has explored more than 100 meters, confirming the presence of sulfur, iron, oxygen, and other elements on the moon, ISRO said.

Now India hopes for the success of a probe launched last Saturday to study the sun, observing solar winds that can cause disturbances on Earth that are often seen as auroras.

"This satellite is in good health" and is in Earth orbit, ISRO said on Sunday, September 3, as they prepare for a 1.5 million kilometer journey.