The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft has travelled nearly a third of the journey to the Moon – indiansupdate.com
The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft, which has travelled nearly a third of the journey to the Moon before launch, entered the lunar circle on Saturday. Former ISRO scientist Tapan Mishra noted that this lunar mission showcases India’s groundbreaking advancements in space exploration. In a conversation in Kolkata, Mishra explained, “Our launch vehicles lack the necessary power once they leave Earth’s atmosphere, requiring a velocity of 11.2 km/s to continue the journey. Due to this limitation, we employed the sling-slot mechanism.”
“Chandrayaan-3 has been properly placed into lunar orbit,” said ISRO’s official Twitter account earlier on Saturday. A retro-burn took out at Perilune near the Mission Operations Complex (MOX) at ISTRAC in Bengaluru. The orbit lowering manoeuvre is slated on August 6, 2023, about 23:00 Hrs. IST.” “MOX, ISTRAC, this is Chandrayaan-3. I am experiencing lunar gravity,” added the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in another tweet.
India’s third lunar exploration mission, Chandrayaan-3, was launched on July 14 using the GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) heavy-lift launch vehicle from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. By successfully landing its spacecraft on the Moon’s surface, India will join the ranks of the US, China, and Russia, demonstrating its capability for a safe and gentle landing on the lunar terrain.
Once on the Moon, Chandrayaan-3 will operate for approximately one lunar day, equivalent to about 14 Earth days. The mission’s objectives include a safe and soft landing, rover exploration of the lunar surface, and conducting in-situ scientific experiments. Chandrayaan-3’s components encompass various electronic and mechanical systems designed to facilitate a secure and smooth landing, including navigation sensors, propulsion mechanisms, guidance and control systems, and other crucial onboard electronics such as communication antennas and rover release mechanisms.
The project received an approved budget of Rs. 250 crores (excluding launch vehicle expenses). The development of Chandrayaan-3 commenced in January 2020, with the launch originally planned for 2021. However, the COVID-19 pandemic introduced unforeseen delays to the mission’s timeline. Chandrayaan-3 follows ISRO’s previous attempt with Chandrayaan-2, which faced challenges during its soft landing on the Moon’s surface in 2019 and was ultimately deemed to have fallen short of its primary mission objectives.
Noteworthy scientific achievements from Chandrayaan-2 include generating the first global map of lunar sodium, enhancing our understanding of crater size distribution, and the definitive identification of water ice on the lunar surface using the IIRS instrument, resulting in nearly 50 research publications. A successful lunar mission by India holds the potential to illuminate Earth’s history and improve life on our planet. Additionally, it will pave the way for further exploration of the solar system and beyond.