Bengaluru | An Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) official has claimed that the orbiter Vikram has not crashed into pieces and is actually very much intact.
On Saturday, the orbiter Vikram lost all communication channels just before its ‘soft-landing’ on the Moon, 2.1 kilometres above the surface.
“It had a hard-landing very close to the planned (touch-down) site as per the images sent by the on-board camera of the orbiter. The lander is there as a single piece, not broken into pieces. It’s in a tilted position,” an Isro official associated with the mission claimed on Monday.
“We are making all-out efforts to see whether communication can be re-established with the lander,” the official said.
“An Isro team is the on the job at ISROTelemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru.”
An ISRO official said: “Unless and until everything is intact (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.”
Isro Chairman K Sivan had said on Saturday that the space agency would try to restore link with the lander for 14 days, and reiterated the resolve on Sunday after the orbiter’s camera spotted it on the Lunar surface.
Orbiter Vikram carries a six-wheeled lander Pragyan whose mission life is one Lunar day, which is equal to 14 earth days.
Watch: Chandrayaan 2: Good News! Lander Vikram located by ISRO
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