Chandrayaan-3 mission, an ambitious dream project of Indian scientists is on the verge of coming true. If so happens, this achievement will not only mark a historic accomplishment for India but for the entire global scientific community. On August 23rd, Vikram lander module is planned to endeavour for a soft landing on the surface of the Moon.
Doing this successfully would establish India as the first ever country to land on the moon’s south pole. Moreover, it would pave the way for other nations to undertake similar missions, and search to uncover several mysteries and search for minerals. Here's a recap before you watch India hoists national flag proudly on the lunar land.
ISRO confirms mission on schedule:
Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Minister, Government of India tweeted his excitement:
Check out some images of the moon:
Chandrayaan-3 Mission: An Overview
Chandrayaan-3 Mission is a proposed mission by Indian scientists to attempt a successful landing on the lunar surface with three main objectives: to prolific a soft landing on the moon, and to facilitate a Rover roving on the satellite for scientific experiments.
After establishing “two-way communication between the two” ISRO shared:
Importance Of Chandrayaan-3 mission
Chandrayaan-3 mission is extremely important for India as it will bring the country to the global front as the first country to successfully reach the moon’s south pool region. This region of the moon remains dark and is supposed to be full of precious minerals and frozen water.
With this, India will become the 4th country to achieve mastery over soft landing technology on the lunar surface. Before, the US, Soviet Union, and China achieved this feat so far.
It’s a buzz in Pakistan politics:
Chandrayaan-3: The Launch And Payload
Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft started the mission by taking off on 14th July, by Bahubali Launch Vehicle Mark-III of IASRO (Indian Space Research Organisation). It comprises a spacecraft, a lander module called Vikram, a rover called Pragyan, and a propulsion module.
The lander module left detached from propulsion module last week and started the descent on the moon’s surface. As per the scientists' calculations, the lander should touch the floor on 23rd August.
“‘Thanks for the ride, mate! 👋’ said the Lander Module (LM)” after successful separation from Propulsion Module.
Comparison Between Chandrayaan-2 Chandrayan-3 Lander
ISRO chief S Somnath was quoted saying that the Vikram lander is capable of safely landing on the moon’s surface, no matter if its engine and sensors fail. Previously, the Chandrayaan-2 lander became silent over the moon for a few kilometres which resulted in mission failure.
First tweet by ISRO after successful firing of Chandrayaan-3:
The Biggest Challenge In Landing
The biggest challenge in proceeding with a successful soft landing is to make it in the vertical dimension. As the lander’s direction toward the moon while landing is horizontal at 6,048km/hour (1.68km/s). the next move for ISRO is to reduce the speed to 10.8km/hr prior to landing after changing the direction to vertical. The whole operation is estimated to take 17 minutes and is known as '17 minutes of terror.'
“View from the Lander Imager (LI) Camera-1 on August 17, 2023 just after the separation of the Lander Module from the Propulsion Module”
“🌖 as captured by the Lander Position Detection Camera (LPDC) on August 15, 2023”
Chandrayaan-3 Landing Livestream
In a statement, ISRO said that everything related to Chandrayaan-3 is working as per the schedule and regular checks are undergoing for systems to facilitate soft landing on the lunar surface. This time, a live stream of the whole operation of landing is also available at MOX (Mission Operations Complex)/ISTRAC and will start at 5.20 pm Indian Standard Time, on 23rd August 2023.
In a statement, ISRO said that everything related to Chandrayaan-3 is working as per the schedule and regular checks are undergoing for systems to facilitate soft landing on the lunar surface. This time, a live stream of the whole operation of landing is also available at MOX (Mission Operations Complex)/ISTRAC and will start at 5.20 pm Indian Standard Time, on 23rd August 2023.
Sharing information about live stream of landing
People can witness the historic mission taking the last step towards success which is Chandrayaan – 3 landing on the National TV channel Door Darshan. ISRO is also going to stream the mission live on its website, Facebook, and YouTube channels. Here is the link:
Aftermath Of Chandrayaan-3 Landing
Right before the landing, the lander is scheduled to hover over the moon's surface to search for a safe landing place. After the successful landing, it will allow dust to settle down. Then the Pragyan Rover will start roaming freely to collect materials and embark on the experiments. The rover and lander are run by solar power and hence in operation for 14 days which is one lunar day.
