The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched Chandrayaan-3, India’s third moon mission. The launch took place on July 14 at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. Chandrayaan-3 aims to achieve a soft landing on the lunar surface and improve our understanding of the Moon.
This launch is India’s second attempt at soft-landing robotic instruments on the Moon, following the unsuccessful Chandrayaan-2 mission in 2019. Only three countries the United States, Russia, and China—have achieved successful soft landings on the Moon so far.
ISRO Chairman S. Somanath stated that the next 42 days are crucial for the mission. The nominal program includes five earth-bound maneuvers, which will be completed by July 31. Following that, the trans-lunar insertion is scheduled for August 1, and the spacecraft will be captured by the Moon. On August 17, the propulsion module and lander module will separate, and the landing is planned for August 23 at 5:47 pm IST, if all goes according to plan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the successful launch, describing it as a new chapter in India’s space exploration. He commended the dedication and ingenuity of ISRO’s scientists. Minister of State Jitendra Singh also expressed pride in the achievement, emphasizing that it vindicates the dream of Vikram Sarabhai, the father of the Indian space program.
Shortly after liftoff, the spacecraft, which consists of the propulsion module, lander module, and rover, separated from the rocket. It entered an elliptic parking orbit (EPO), with the closest approach to Earth at around 170 km and the farthest at 36,500 km.
Chandrayaan-3 comprises an indigenous propulsion module (PM) and a lander module (LM). The mission aims to develop and demonstrate new technologies required for inter-planetary missions.
The PM will carry the lander, which contains the rover, from the EPO around Earth to a circular orbit around the Moon at an altitude of 100 km. The PM also carries an instrument called ‘Spectro-polarimetry of Habitable Planetary Earth’ (SHAPE) to study spectral emissions from Earth.
ISRO explains that the lander is capable of a soft landing at a designated lunar site and will deploy the rover. The rover will conduct in-situ chemical studies of the lunar surface as it moves around. The lander is equipped with scientific instruments to study the lunar surface and subsurface.
Over the next month, the propulsion module will perform a series of maneuvers to navigate towards the Moon and be captured by lunar gravity. Once in lunar orbit, the lander will detach and attempt a soft landing on the Moon’s surface.
The Chandrayaan-3 mission aims to develop and demonstrate new technologies that will be crucial for future inter-planetary missions.
