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Chandrayaan-3: Journey to the Moon

Chandrayaan 3: Journey to the Moon

What is Chandrayaan 3

Chandrayaan-3 had launched on 14 July, 2023 at 2:35 IST.

Chandrayaan-3 is an Indian lunar mission and the successor to Chandrayaan-2, which was launched in July 2019. The primary objective of Chandrayaan-3 is to land a rover on the Moon’s surface and conduct scientific experiments and observations.

The Chandrayaan-2 mission was partly successful as its orbiter component successfully entered lunar orbit and continues to send data and images from the Moon. However, the lander (Vikram) lost communication just minutes before its planned landing, and the rover (Pragyan) was unable to deploy and conduct surface operations.

Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-up mission, incorporating lessons learned from Chandrayaan-2’s landing failure. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was working on improvements and modifications to ensure a successful landing on the Moon’s surface with the next mission.

Objectives of Chandrayaan 3 Mission

Objectives of Chandrayaan-3 were disclosed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) as follows. 
  • Safe and Soft Landing: One of the main objectives of Chandrayaan-3 is likely to be achieving a successful soft landing on the lunar surface. This means safely landing a lander module with a rover on the Moon, allowing for close-up surface exploration and scientific investigations.
  • To demonstrate Rover roving on the moon: Chandrayaan-3 might carry a rover similar to “Pragyan” on Chandrayaan-2. The rover would be designed to move on the lunar surface, conduct experiments, and collect data to gain a better understanding of the Moon’s geology, topography, and mineralogy.
  • To conduct in-situ scientific experiments.
These may be Visions of Lunar Mission:
  • Lunar Geology and Mineralogy: The mission is expected to study the Moon’s surface composition, minerals, and geological features. Analyzing the Moon’s geology can provide insights into its history, formation, and possible resources.
  • Water Ice Exploration: One of the key objectives of Chandrayaan-3 might be to search for water ice on the Moon. Locating and analyzing water ice deposits is crucial for future lunar missions, as it could potentially be used as a resource for human exploration or as fuel for spacecraft.
  • Lunar Atmosphere and Exosphere: Chandrayaan-3 could study the Moon’s exosphere and its interaction with the solar wind. Understanding the Moon’s thin atmosphere can contribute to our understanding of space weather and the processes occurring on airless bodies.
  • Demonstration of Advanced Technology: Like its predecessors, Chandrayaan-3 might include the demonstration of new and advanced technologies relevant to lunar exploration. These technologies could range from landing techniques to communication systems and scientific instruments.

It is important to note that these visions are speculative based on previous lunar missions and the goals of Chandrayaan-2. 

Advanced Technologies used in Chandrayaan 3

According to ISRO official website to achieve the mission objectives, several advanced technologies have been used in Lander such as:

  • Altimeters: Laser & RF based Altimeters
  • Velocimeters: Laser Doppler Velocimeter & Lander Horizontal Velocity Camera
  • Inertial Measurement: Laser Gyro based Inertial referencing and Accelerometer package
  • Propulsion System: 800N Throttleable Liquid Engines, 58N attitude thrusters & Throttleable Engine Control Electronics
  • Navigation, Guidance & Control (NGC): Powered Descent Trajectory design and associate software elements
  • Hazard Detection and Avoidance: Lander Hazard Detection & Avoidance Camera and Processing Algorithm
  • Landing Leg Mechanism.