The Indian Space Research Organisation said on Sunday that the location of Chandrayaan-2's lander module, Vikram, which lost contact with the space agency 2.1 km above the moon's surface, has been found. The communication with the lander, however, is yet to be established.
The space agency said it has retrieved thermal images of the lander and is analysing them for a clear picture of the lander's condition.
"We have found the location of Vikram Lander on the lunar surface, the orbiter has clicked a thermal image of the lander. But there is no communication yet. We are trying to establish contact. It will be communicated soon (sic)," said ISRO chief K Sivan, a day after the near-miss of Chandrayaan-2 landing.
WE’LL STILL HAVE PICTURES
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- The lander was on a powered descent for a soft landing when it lost contact with ground control at the Bengaluru mission control
- Chandrayaan-2’s orbiter has been in contact with the mission control and is expected to beam back critical information
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Amid the heavyheartedness over the loss of contact with the lander in the wee hours of Saturday, Sivan had said that ISRO would continue to make attempts to establish a link over the next fortnight. He added that 90-95% of the mission objectives have been accomplished.
Chandrayaan-2 has three main parts – orbiter, lander (Vikram) and rover (Pragyan). In the last-minute snag, a communication link between the lander and the orbiter snapped as the former was descending towards the moon's south pole early on Saturday.
The orbiter has been in contact with ISRO and is expected to beam back critical information.
The orbiter's camera has the highest resolution (0.3m) among all lunar missions executed till date and will provide clear images which will be useful to the global scientific community.
After the loss of contact with Vikram, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had encouraged the country's space scientists to persevere in their endeavours, terming ISRO's attempt a "great feat".
US space agency NASA had also lauded ISRO's attempt in a tweet: "Space is hard. We commend ISRO's attempt to land their #Chandrayaan2 mission on the Moon's South Pole. You have inspired us with your journey and we look forward to future opportunities to explore our solar system together."
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