The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is taking a significant stride with the Chandrayaan-3 mission, aiming to accomplish a successful gentle landing on the moon’s surface. This endeavor places India on track to become the fourth nation globally to achieve this remarkable milestone, joining the company of the United States, Russia, and China.

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Chandrayaan-3 represents India’s third lunar expedition and its second endeavor to achieve a delicate landing on the Moon’s terrain. Following the unsuccessful Chandrayaan-2 mission in 2019, this new mission serves as a subsequent step. Its primary purpose is to showcase India’s comprehensive ability to perform a secure landing and traverse the lunar surface.

Launched effectively on July 14 via the GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) heavy-lift launch vehicle from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota, the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is poised to touch down on the moon’s exterior come August 23.

Presently, the spacecraft has traversed approximately two-thirds of the journey towards the Moon and is presently engaged in a sequence of orbital adjustments.

Chandrayaan-3 comprises an array of electronic and mechanical elements meticulously designed to facilitate a secure and gentle touchdown on the lunar surface. These encompass navigation sensors, propulsion systems, guidance and control mechanisms, and other crucial subsystems.

Furthermore, the spacecraft incorporates functionalities for deploying the rover, antennas for two-way communication, and various other onboard electronic components.

Chandrayaan-3 is primarily focused on achieving three key goals: a secure and gentle moon landing, enabling the rover to traverse the lunar terrain, and conducting scientific experiments in situ.

The sanctioned budget for Chandrayaan-3 stands at ₹250 crores, not including the expenses related to the launch vehicle.

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The developmental stage of Chandrayaan-3 commenced in January 2020, aiming for a launch in 2021. However, the unforeseen disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic led to an unexpected setback in advancing the mission.

Chandrayaan-3 is the ISRO’s follow-up attempt after the Chandrayaan-2 mission faced challenges during its soft landing on the lunar surface in 2019 and was eventually deemed to have failed its core mission objectives.

The key scientific outcomes from Chandrayaan-2 include the first-ever global map for lunar sodium, enhancing knowledge on crater size distribution, unambiguous detection of lunar surface water ice with IIRS instrument and more. The mission has been featured in almost 50 publications.

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During the Chandrayaan-1 mission, the satellite made more than 3400 orbits around the moon and the mission was concluded when the communication with the spacecraft was lost on August 29, 2009, according to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), S Somanath last week expressed confidence in the progress of the forthcoming lunar mission, Chandrayaan 3, providing reassurance that all systems are operating as planned.

Chairman S Somanath stated, “Everything is going fine now. There will be a series of manoeuvres until it lands (on the Moon) on 23rd August. The satellite is healthy.”

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Moon serves as a repository of the Earth’s past and a successful lunar mission by India will help enhance life on Earth while also enabling it to explore the rest of the solar system and beyond. K Sivan, former director of ISRO, earlier told ANI that the success of mission Chandrayan-3 will give a morale boost to programmes like Gaganyan, India’s first manned space mission.

Former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan, who has been instrumental in the country’s space sector innovation, had before the lift of the satellite said the Chandrayaan-3 mission is going to be successful and a game-changer event for India.

”Chandrayaan-3 will definitely be a game changer for India and I hope it will be successful. India will become an inspiration to the entire world. Let’s wait for the launch and pray for the best,” Nambi Narayanan had told ANI.

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Narayanan is the scientist who led a team to develop the ‘Vikas Engine’ — a mainstay of all Indian rockets and help the country enter into the era of PSLV rockets.

“I’m assuming, and I hope that it will be a successful mission. Because whatever the problem in Chandrayaan-2, actually, we corrected the whole thing. From the failure, we have understood all mistakes (on our part),” Narayanan, the recipient of India’s third highest civilian honour, ‘Padma Bhushan’, told ANI.

Updated: 15 Aug 2023, 02:49 PM IST