Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota - The highly anticipated third edition of India's moon mission, Chandrayaan-3, is scheduled for launch today, July 14, at 2:35 pm. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has made significant improvements to ensure the success of this mission, following the crash-landing of Chandrayaan-2 in September 2019 due to a software glitch. As the scientific community and Indians worldwide eagerly await this momentous event, here are the key details about India's ambitious lunar expedition.
The countdown for Chandrayaan-3 began on Thursday, with ISRO announcing the commencement of preparations for the launch. In a tweet, ISRO stated, "The countdown leading to the launch tomorrow at 14:35:17 Hrs. IST has commenced." This mission marks a crucial step for India's space exploration endeavors and hopes to achieve what its predecessor could not.
Chandrayaan-3's Mission Objectives
Chandrayaan-3 aims to rectify the setbacks faced during Chandrayaan-2 and showcase advancements in inter-planetary missions. The mission comprises an indigenous propulsion module, lander module, and rover. It will demonstrate new technologies required for lunar exploration. The propulsion module will transport the lander and rover from the injection orbit to a lunar orbit of 100 km. Additionally, the mission carries a Spectro-polarimetry of Habitable Planetary Earth (SHAPE) payload, which will study spectral and polarimetric measurements of Earth from the lunar orbit.
India's Ascent to Elite Lunar Achievements
A successful Chandrayaan-3 mission would propel India into an elite club of nations that have achieved a lunar landing. Currently, only the United States, China, and the former Soviet Union have accomplished this feat. Former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan expressed his optimism about the mission, emphasizing that India's successful landing would boost the country's potential for space science development. Furthermore, it would increase India's share in the global space business, which currently stands at a mere 2% of the $600 billion industry.
Designing for Success: Lessons Learned
ISRO Chairman S Somanath shared insights into the design approach for Chandrayaan-3. Learning from the previous mission's challenges, the space agency has adopted a failure-based design strategy. The focus is on anticipating potential failures and implementing measures to protect critical components, ensuring a successful landing. Unlike Chandrayaan-2, which included the Vikram lander, Pragyan rover, and an orbiter, Chandrayaan-3 will consist of only a lander and rover. The mission will utilize the existing Orbiter from Chandrayaan-2 for communication and terrain mapping requirements.
Enhanced Capabilities and Safety Measures
The Chandrayaan-3 lander mission incorporates "lander hazard detection and avoidance cameras" to facilitate coordination with the orbiter and mission control during the landing process. Furthermore, the landing area has been expanded from 500m x 500m to four km by 2.5 km, providing flexibility for landing in different conditions. ISRO chief stated that the mission has additional fuel, enabling greater capability for travel, dispersion management, and the option to choose an alternate landing site. The Vikram lander has also been equipped with additional solar panels to ensure uninterrupted power generation, regardless of its landing orientation.
As the Chandrayaan-3 mission unfolds, India eagerly awaits the outcome, hoping to join the league of nations that have achieved lunar landing success. The launch today signifies India's determination to push the boundaries of space exploration and reinforces its commitment to advancing scientific knowledge and technological capabilities.
Congratulations 👏🎉👏 ISRO for the Achievement
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