India's first lunar rover, Pragyan, will cease operations at night on the Moon due to the extreme cold temperatures. The rover is solar-powered, and the Moon's night side experiences temperatures as low as minus 238 degrees Celsius. At these temperatures, the rover's batteries would not be able to provide enough power to operate its systems.
Pragyan landed on the Moon on August 23, 2023, and has been exploring the lunar surface for the past few days. The rover is equipped with a variety of instruments to study the Moon's surface, including its composition, mineralogy, and history.
During the day, Pragyan will continue to operate as normal. However, at night, the rover will enter a hibernation mode to conserve power. The rover will wake up automatically when the Sun rises again.
The Pragyan rover is a major milestone for India's space program. It is the first Indian rover to land on the Moon, and it is the first solar-powered rover to operate on the lunar surface. Pragyan's mission is expected to last for several weeks, and it is expected to collect a wealth of data about the Moon.
Here are some of the things that Pragyan will study:
- The composition of the lunar surface
- The mineralogy of the lunar surface
- The history of the lunar surface
- The presence of water on the Moon
- The possibility of life on the Moon
Pragyan's mission is expected to make significant contributions to our understanding of the Moon. The data that the rover collects will help scientists to better understand the Moon's origins, its evolution, and its potential for future exploration.
