Chandrayaan-3: India's Third Attempt to Land on the Moon
India is gearing up for its third lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3, which aims to demonstrate a safe and successful landing on the moon's surface. The mission follows the previous Chandrayaan-2, which failed to land its lander and rover in September 2019 due to a glitch in the guidance software.
Chandrayaan-3 consists of a lander named Vikram and a rover named Pragyan, similar to Chandrayaan-2, but does not have an orbiter. Instead, the mission uses a propulsion module that acts as a communication relay satellite between the lander and the Earth.
The mission was launched on July 14, 2023, at 2:35 pm IST (9:05 am UTC) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India, using the Launch Vehicle Mark-III (LVM3) rocket. The propulsion module carried the lander and rover configuration until the spacecraft reached a 100 km circular polar orbit around the moon.
The lander and rover are expected to land near the lunar south pole region on August 23 or 24, 2023, in an area of 4 km x 2.4 km between Manzinus C and Simpelius N craters. This region is of scientific interest as it may contain water ice and other resources that could support future human exploration.
The lander and rover have a mission life of one lunar day (about 14 Earth days) and carry several scientific instruments to study the lunar environment. The lander has four payloads: Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive ionosphere and Atmosphere (RAMBHA), Chandra’s Surface Thermo physical Experiment (ChaSTE), Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA), and Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA). The rover has two payloads: Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) and Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS). The propulsion module has one payload: Spectro-polarimetry of HAbitable Planet Earth (SHAPE).
The main objectives of Chandrayaan-3 are to land safely on the surface, to demonstrate rover operations and to perform scientific experiments on site, according to the official website. The mission is also a stepping stone towards ISRO’s future interplanetary missions and a showcase of India's technological prowess in space exploration.
Chandrayaan-3 is supported by the European Space Agency (ESA), which provides tracking and communication services through its network of ground stations. ESA also plans to collaborate with ISRO on future missions such as Gaganyaan, India's first human spaceflight programme, Aditya-L1, India's first solar research mission, and Lunar Polar Exploration Mission, a joint mission with Japan to explore the moon's polar regions.
Source:
(1) Chandrayaan-3 - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandrayaan-3.
(2) Chandrayaan-3: A guide to India's third mission to the moon. https://www.space.com/chandrayaan-3-indian-moon-mission-rover.
(3) Chandrayaan-3 - Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). https://www.isro.gov.in/Chandrayaan3_New.html.
FAQ's
When Chandrayaan-3 will land on Moon?
The Chandrayaan-3 mission is expected to land on the moon at 5.47 pm on August 23, 2023.
Is Chandrayaan-3 is successful or not?
“India today embarked on its historic space journey with the successful launch of Chandrayaan-3.
चंद्रयान 3 सफल है या नहीं?
“भारत ने आज चंद्रयान-3 के सफल प्रक्षेपण के साथ अपनी ऐतिहासिक अंतरिक्ष यात्रा शुरू की।
When was Chandrayaan-3 launched?
Chandrayaan-3, India's third lunar mission, was successfully launched on July 14, 2023, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. As of today, July 31, 2023, the spacecraft is making steady progress and is currently in a 71351 km x 233 km orbit around Earth.
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