Chandrayaan-3 HIGHLIGHTS: ‘Energy & Excitement’ As Chandrayaan-3 All Set For Lunar Touchdown
Chandrayaan-3 Landing Live: India’s third lunar exploration mission is poised to make history by making India the first country to softly land a spacecraft on the Moon’s south pole.
Background
Chandrayaan-3 Moon Landing Live: Chandrayaan-3 is scheduled to land on the lunar south pole on August 23, 2023, at around 6:04 pm IST. However, the landing might experience a delay of three to four days if the lander module and lunar conditions appear unfavourable, a senior scientist at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) told ABP Live. The scientist also explained that Chandrayaan-3 carries sufficient fuel to allow a delay in landing in case conditions are not favourable.
If the landing is delayed, the scientist added, Chandrayaan-3 may operate on the Moon for about 10 days, instead of 14 Earth days. This means that if Chandrayaan-3's landing is delayed, the spacecraft may touch down on the lunar south pole on August 26 or 27.
"So, if you apply a force greater than the amount required, Chandrayaan-3 might get toppled. If you apply a small amount of force, there is a danger of Chandrayaan-3 hitting the lunar surface at the wrong place. Chandrayaan-3 will be landing somewhere between Manzinus C and Simpelius N craters,” said K. Siddhartha, Earth Scientist at ISRO and a strategic thinker.
If Chandrayaan-3 successfully lands on the Moon's south pole, India will become the first country to softly land a spacecraft on the lunar south pole, and the fourth country to achieve a soft landing on the Moon, after the United States, the Soviet Union, and China. Most lunar missions attempt landings on the lunar south pole because the region is a treasure trove of scientific secrets and cosmic mysteries.
Since the lunar south pole is similar to Earth’s diversity, exploring it will allow scientists to obtain insights into how the Earth was billions of years ago, and if it will be possible to colonise the Moon in the future.
Not only will a successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the lunar south pole mark a historic moment for India, but will also allow the spacecraft to perform experiments on the ice and explore how these reserves could be used to extract water, oxygen and fuel for future crewed missions to the Moon.
Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3 are almost identical, except that Chandrayaan-2 included an orbiter, but Chandrayaan-3 is not carrying an orbiter. The Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft consisted of an orbiter, a lander and a rover called Pragyan. While the lander, called Vikram, failed to make the desired smooth landing, the other aspects of the mission were successful.
In order to ensure that Chandrayaan-3 is a success, ISRO has made some changes in the design and capabilities of Vikram. These strategic enhancements are expected to increase the chances of Chandrayaan-3's Vikram landing on the Moon's south pole.
The changes ISRO has made to ensure Vikram lands safely on the Moon include reinforced landing legs, enhanced sensors, an expanded solar array, sophisticated software, enhanced engine throttling, and optimised engine configuration.
The solar array has a higher power generation capacity than that of Chandrayaan-2’s Vikram because the array’s size has been increased to ensure that the lander has a consistent and reliable power source during its lunar descent, and also while performing other operations on the Moon.
Chandrayaan-3's primary objective is to put the lander and the rover on the Moon's highlands near its south pole, and to demonstrate end-to-end landing and roving capabilities. Apart from demonstrating safe and soft landing and roving capabilities on the lunar surface, Chandrayaan-3's objectives are to conduct in-situ scientific experiments, and develop and demonstrate new technologies required for interplanetary missions.
Chandrayaan-3 HIGHLIGHTS: India's Third Lunar Exploration Mission Nearing Lunar Touchdown
Chandrayaan-3 is nearing lunar touchdown on the Moon's South Pole.
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