ISRO successfully launches Chandrayaan-3, India's third moon expedition

A Successful Chandrayaan-3 Mission by ISRO

India has achieved another milestone in its space exploration program with the successful launch and landing of Chandrayaan-3, its third lunar mission. Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-up mission to Chandrayaan-2, which attempted a soft landing on the Moon in 2019 but lost contact with the lander during the final descent. Chandrayaan-3 aims to demonstrate India's capability to land and operate a rover on the lunar surface.

Launch and Orbit

Chandrayaan-3 was launched on July 14, 2023, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, using the LVM3 (Launch Vehicle Mark 3), India's most powerful rocket. The LVM3 placed the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft into an Earth parking orbit, from where it performed a series of orbit-raising maneuvers to reach the lunar transfer trajectory. After entering the lunar orbit, Chandrayaan-3 performed another series of maneuvers to lower its orbit and prepare for the landing.

Landing and Rover

Chandrayaan-3 consists of two modules: a propulsion module and a lander module. The propulsion module carries the lander from launch injection to lunar orbit, while the lander module houses the rover inside it. The lander module separated from the propulsion module on August 22, 2023, and initiated the powered descent to the lunar surface. The lander used a combination of sensors and actuators to navigate and avoid hazards during the descent. It successfully touched down on August 23, 2023, at 2:18 AM IST, in a flat region near the south pole of the Moon.

The rover, named Pragyan (meaning "wisdom" in Sanskrit), was deployed from the lander shortly after the landing. The rover is a six-wheeled vehicle that weighs 26 kg and can travel up to 500 meters from the lander. The rover is powered by solar energy and communicates with the lander via radio link. The rover carries two scientific instruments: an Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) and a Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS). These instruments are used to analyze the chemical composition of the lunar soil and rocks.

Science Objectives and Outcomes

The main objective of Chandrayaan-3 is to demonstrate India's technological prowess in soft landing and rover operation on the Moon. The mission also aims to conduct scientific experiments and observations on the lunar surface, especially near the south pole region, which is of interest for future exploration and utilization. Some of the specific science objectives are:

- To study the topography, mineralogy, elemental abundance, surface temperature and thermo-physical properties of the landing site.

- To measure the seismic activity and plasma density near the lunar surface.

- To test a laser retroreflector array for precise measurement of the Earth-Moon distance.

- To demonstrate a spectro-polarimeter for observing Earth's atmosphere from lunar orbit.

The mission has achieved remarkable results so far, such as:

- Detecting traces of water ice and organic molecules in some of the permanently shadowed regions near the south pole.

- Finding evidence of ancient volcanic activity and impact cratering in the landing site.

- Measuring variations in surface temperature and thermal conductivity across different lunar phases.

- Recording low-frequency seismic waves from moonquakes and meteoroid impacts.

- Capturing stunning images of Earth's atmosphere in different wavelengths using SHAPE.

Conclusion

Chandrayaan-3 is a proud achievement for India and a significant contribution to global lunar exploration. The mission has demonstrated India's capability to land and operate a rover on the Moon, as well as conduct valuable scientific experiments and observations. The mission has also enhanced India's collaboration with other space agencies such as NASA and ESA, who have provided support and data sharing for Chandrayaan-3. Chandrayaan-3 is an inspiration for future missions to explore and utilize the Moon and beyond.

Source: 

(1) Chandrayaan-3 - Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). https://www.isro.gov.in/ISRO_EN/Chandrayaan3_New.html.

(2) Chandrayaan-3 landing on moon is expected on Aug 23 if everything goes normal: ISRO chief | LIVE updates. https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/chandrayaan-3-launch-live-updates-isro-third-lunar-exploration-mission-satish-dhawan-space-centre-sriharikota-moon-landing-2023-07-14-880992.

(3) Chandrayaan-3, Isro's third lunar mission, successfully launched into orbit. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/chandrayaan-3-isros-third-lunar-mission-successfully-launched-into-orbit/articleshow/101754594.cms.

(4) Chandrayaan 3: How ISRO, NASA & ESA have come together to ensure Indian Lunar Mission’s success. https://www.firstpost.com/tech/news-analysis/how-isro-nasa-esa-have-come-together-to-ensure-indian-lunar-mission-chandrayaan-3-success-12867902.html.

(5) Chandrayaan-3 - Wikipedia. https://bing.com/search?q=chandrayaan+3+mission+isro.

(6) LVM3-M4-Chandrayaan-3 Mission: - Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). https://www.isro.gov.in/Chandrayaan3.html.