Bengaluru, August 22 : ISRO’s ambitious lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3, is poised for a significant achievement as its Lander Module (LM) prepares to make a historic soft landing on the Moon’s surface on Wednesday evening. India aims to become the first nation to reach the uncharted south pole of Earth’s natural satellite.
Scheduled for Wednesday at 6:04 pm, the LM, consisting of the lander named Vikram and the rover known as Pragyan, is set to gently touch down near the Moon’s south polar region. If this endeavor succeeds, India will join the ranks of the US, China, and the former Soviet Union as one of the few countries to master the technology of soft lunar landings.
Chandrayaan-3 follows in the footsteps of Chandrayaan-2 and has key objectives of demonstrating safe and soft landing on the Moon’s surface, rover mobility, and conducting in-situ scientific experiments. Notably, Chandrayaan-2 had encountered challenges during its lunar phase in 2019, resulting in the crash of its lander ‘Vikram’ due to anomalies in its braking system.
Launched on July 14, Chandrayaan-3’s mission cost around Rs 600 crore and involved a 41-day journey onboard Launch Vehicle Mark-III (LVM-3) rocket to approach the lunar south pole. This landing attempt comes shortly after Russia’s Luna-25 spacecraft experienced a crash on the Moon.
The crucial soft-landing process is referred to as the “17 minutes of terror,” as it involves a series of autonomous maneuvers, including engine firing, altitude adjustments, and obstacle avoidance. ISRO Chairman S Somanath highlighted the challenge of transitioning the lander from a horizontal to a vertical position during descent.
Following a successful landing, the rover will descend from the lander using a side panel as a ramp. Both the lander and rover are equipped with scientific payloads to conduct experiments on the lunar surface. While their mission life is expected to last one lunar day, the possibility of extended functionality isn’t ruled out by ISRO.
The Moon’s south pole presents unique terrain and challenges, with the potential for water presence in shadowed regions. Chandrayaan-3’s payloads include instruments to measure plasma ions and electrons density, analyze thermal properties, study seismic activity, and determine elemental composition of lunar soil and rocks.
Ahead of its landing attempt, Chandrayaan-3’s LM established communication with Chandrayaan-2’s orbiter, enhancing channels for ground control communication. Unlike Chandrayaan-2’s success-based design, Chandrayaan-3 is designed with a failure-based approach to ensure a secure landing.
The LM successfully separated from the Propulsion Module on August 17, and the Propulsion Module will continue its orbit journey for future scientific endeavors. With numerous orbit adjustments and maneuvers, Chandrayaan-3’s journey culminates in its scheduled landing on August 23, marking another significant stride in India’s space exploration efforts.
