India’s ISRO Prepares For Chandrayaan-3: New Mission To Conquer The Moon’s Surface

New Delhi, 12th July 2023: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is preparing to launch the highly anticipated Chandrayaan-3 mission, which follows the Chandrayaan-2 mission that encountered challenges during its attempted soft landing in 2019. Chandrayaan-3, featuring improved design and assembly, is scheduled to launch on July 14, 2023, at 2:35 PM from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

MISSION INITIATION
The development phase of Chandrayaan-3 began in January 2020, with scientists and engineers dedicated to designing and assembling the spacecraft. Learning from setbacks experienced during the previous mission, ISRO has implemented enhancements, including stronger impact legs for the lander. The development and assembly of the COVID-19 pandemic-induced delays resulted in a timeline extension that surpassed the originally intended early 2021 launch.

TIMELINE
Chandrayaan-3 will be launched using the Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM 3) rocket. Unlike its predecessor, this mission will not include an orbiter. The spacecraft is expected to reach the moon’s South Pole and operate for approximately one lunar day, equivalent to around 14 Earth days.

The mission’s trajectory will mimic Chandrayaan-2 by having the propulsion module circle the Earth several times before embarking towards the moon. Once within the moon’s gravitational pull, the module will adjust its orbit to a circular path around 100 x 100 km. Subsequently, the lander will detach from the module and descend to the lunar surface.

MISSION COMPLETION AND SCIENTIFIC OBJECTIVES
It is generally estimated that the voyage from Earth to the moon requires around one month to complete. The landing is currently scheduled for August 23-24, with the possibility of adjustments based on the moon’s sunrise. If needed, ISRO will reschedule the landing for September. The descent phase, famously known as the “15 minutes of terror,” represents a critical phase for the mission’s success, as former ISRO chairperson K. Sivan described.

Upon landing, the lander, named ‘Vikram,’ will deploy four scientific payloads to investigate the moon’s surface temperature and subterranean characteristics. Pragyan, The rover, will explore the lunar surface using chemical tests while traversing the terrain.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LUNAR EXPLORATION
The Moon offers a multitude of answers and opportunities across various domains, similar to the countless craters adorning its surface. Since the Moon’s origin can be traced back to Earth, it functions as a storage facility for Earth’s ancient history, safeguarding valuable information that has been eroded or lost over time on our ever-changing planet due to geological activities, as explained in a report by NASA.

Exploration of the Moon provides scientists with invaluable insights into Earth’s origins, the formation and evolution of the Earth-Moon system, and the impact of asteroid collisions on Earth’s past and potential future.