On September 7, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) lost all communications with its Vikram lunar lander.
Two and a half months later, the ISRO has finally decided to say goodbye.
“The first phase of descent was performed nominally from an altitude of 30 km to 7.4 km above the moon surface,” reads a report by Jitendra Singh, minister of state for India’s Department of Space. But shortly after, the numbers started deviating “beyond the designed parameters… As a result, Vikram hard landed within 500 [meters] of the designated landing site.”
We still don’t know what caused the crash — but it is the first formal acknowledgement of the lander’s failure, according to NPR.
Not everything is lost, though. Luckily, the orbiter that carried Vikram to the Moon is still very much in action.
“Most of the components of Technology demonstration, including the launch, orbital critical maneuvers, lander separation, de-boost and rough braking phase were successfully accomplished,” Singh added.
India was set to become only the fourth country after the U.S., the USSR, and China to softly land a manmade object on the Moon.
READ MORE: 2 Months After Failed Moon Landing, India Acknowledges Its Craft Crashed [NPR]
History, they say, is written by the victors. But what happens when the victors have…
On August 7, 1985, a group of Soviet astronomers made a discovery that would baffle…
In the opening months of 2025, the world stands at a pivotal crossroads, a moment…
Imagine a crisp, moonlit night, the kind where the air is thick with mystery and…
In a stunning turn of events that has captivated both professional astronomers and skywatching enthusiasts,…
A century-old secret may soon see the light of day. Deep within the labyrinthine Apostolic…