10.9.19

Vikram lander tilted after a hard hit, but is unbroken: ISRO


The ‘Vikram’ lander stands tilted but unbroken on the lunar surface following a hard landing. Efforts to re-establish link with the probe were on, an ISRO official said.

Vikram, which encases rover ‘Pragyan’ went out of contact during its final descent, when it was just 2.1 km above the lunar surface, in the early hours of September 7. “The lander is there (on lunar surface) as a single piece, not broken into pieces. It’s in a tilted position,” an ISRO official associated with the mission claimed.

Though the lander hit the surface hard while landing, it was still very close to the scheduled touchdown site as per the images sent by the orbiter’s onboard camera, he said. “We are making all-out efforts to see whether communication can be re-established with the lander,” the official said.

ISRO chairman K Sivan had said that the space agency would try to restore link with the lander for 14 days, and reiterated the resolve on September 8 after the orbiter’s camera spotted it on the Lunar surface.

An ISRO official said chances of restoring link with the lander were bleak since its system functionality was a prerequisite to achieve that.

“Unless and until everything is intact (in lander), it’s very difficult (to re-establish contact). Chances are less. Only if it had soft-landing, and if all systems functioned, then only communication can be restored. Things are bleak as of now.”

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