Lunar Night Puts India’s Rover to the Test

India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission, which delivered its Vikram lander and Pragyan rover to the lunar surface, faces uncertainty as the rover enters sleep mode due to the onset of the lunar night. Unlike NASA’s long-lasting Mars rovers, Pragyan relies on solar power and may struggle with the harsh lunar cold. However, there’s a chance it could awaken when the sun returns on September 22nd. While the mission achieved its engineering goals, it aimed to detect water ice and characterize lunar regolith, with promising temperature and sulfur findings near the South Pole. India’s space successes continue to grow, elevating its global standing.