NASA joins ISRO to track Vikram 'calling home'

Chennai, Sep 12 (IANS) The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is continuing its attempt to reach out to India's moon lander sending communication signals with its Deep Space Network (DSN), said officials.

It is also reported the American space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is sending radio signals to Vikram.

"Attempts are being made to reestablish communication links with the moon lander Vikram. The attempts will be made till September 20-21 when the sunlight will be there in the area where the Vikram has landed," an ISRO official preferring anonymity told IANS.

The ISRO is trying to establish link with Vikram with its Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) at Byalalu near Bengaluru.

Scott Tilley, an amateur astronomer who found American weather satellite IMAGE in 2018 that was considered to be lost, on September 10, tweeted: "#DSN 24 beams 12KW of RF at the #Moon in hopes of stimulating #Chandrayaan2's lander #VikramLander into communicating with home.

"Here's a eerie recording of the searcher's signal reflected off the Moon and back to Earth via EME (Earth Moon Earth) on 2103.7MHz."

"Meanwhile the DSN24 continues emitting its beacon in hopes #VikramLander will respond...A Good Night all!" he said in a recent tweet.

The IMAGE satellite was launched by NASA in 2000 and lost contact after five years.