BENGALURU: K Sivan , chairman, Isro , which has been analysing the reasons behind the unsuccessful soft-landing of Vikram, the lander on Chandrayaan-2 on September 7, has told scientists to move and focus on upcoming projects, the TOI has learnt.

Sivan addressed scientists and engineers at Isro on Monday (September 9) and conveyed the same, even as the internal failure analysis committee (FAC) probes into the events that led to the change in trajectory and eventual crash landing of Vikram. At least two people who heard the address confirmed it to TOI.

“Our chairman addressed us through the internal network. He concluded that Chandrayaan-2 is done with 100% success for orbiter science and 95% success for landing technology. Instead of soft landing we have done hard landing. He told us not to worry and instead concentrate on lined up projects,” an Isro scientist told TOI.

Among other things, Isro has in its pipeline a mission to Sun, the human spaceflight mission, a joint mission with NASA (Nisar), and a slew of other satellite missions.

The space agency, which has has largely remained silent about the reasons behind Vikram’s change in trajectory and disorientation that led to the unsuccessful soft-landing attempt, has reiterated in multiple ways that Chandrayaan-2 has largely been a success.

Sivan himself has stressed in his media interviews that one cannot call the mission a failure. He even said that the landing part of the mission was only a “technology demonstrator”, even which worked well until the very last.

“Vikram lander has been located by the orbiter of Chandrayaan-2, but no communication with it yet. All possible efforts are being made to establish communication with lander.”

JPL 70-m Antenna

While Isro’s attempts to contact with Vikram using the 32-metre antenna installed at Byalalu, it's deep space network centre near Bengaluru has been futile, a scientist told TOI: “We even tried contacting Vikram through the 70-metre antenna belonging to JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) of NASA. But there has been no signal from Vikram.”

Another Isro official confirmed this to TOI, and said: "We have a contract with JPL and we have been using all means to establish contact with Vikram."

While Isro continues to send commands hoping to hear back from Vikram, the agency will only have time until September 21, after which Vikram will lose sunlight for the next 14 days. Whether Isro can communicate with Vikram in the remaining days still remains unclear as there has been no updates on the status of the transponders and antenna on Vikram.

“The antenna has to be facing in the right direction and Vikram also need to be powered, if any contact has to be made,” one source said.

However, Isro is yet to officially come out with the status of the lander. Sivan had earlier told TOI that the agency did not have enough information to conclusively speak about Vikram’s condition.

