The USA’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has scheduled its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to fly over the site where ISRO’s Vikram Lander was supposed to land. The orbiter was supposed to fly over the site on October 14. 

This is the second time that the orbiter is flying over the site to get pictures of the Vikram Lander. The first time it flew over the site was on September 17, where it took pictures of the area, but it didn’t give scientists any clarity as they were shot during dusk. The lander couldn’t be located. Lighting conditions are expected to be better this time around. 

The lander attempted its landing on September 7, and had a 14-day mission life, equal to one lunar day. According to Firstpost, once the lunar night set, ISRO said that the lander wouldn’t have any sunlight, due to which it wouldn't be able to generate power to work. 

ISRO announced that it had lost contact with the lander on September 21 after efforts to do so failed.  

"Vikram had a hard landing and the precise location of the spacecraft in the lunar highlands has yet to be determined," NASA said when it flew over the site the first time. The photos identified the site where Vikram was supposed to land as “a small patch of lunar highland smooth plains between Simpelius N and Manzinus C craters.”

However, even if NASA does manage to locate the lander, establishing contact this time around is unlikely, as it was not built to withstand lunar night temperatures, and hence, is most likely frozen. 

Vikram lost contact after it was launched by the Chandrayaan-2 moon orbiter to touch down in the area of the moon's south pole on September 6. After following the intended trajectory, it deviated in the the final moments during the last two kilometres of the descent and went silent.

Vikram carried a rover called Pragyan that was to have conducted experiments on the moon's surface.