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PremiumChandrayaan-3 Highlights: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has shared new updates on its historic mission Chandrayaan-3 as the spacecraft inches closer to the Moon gradually. Chandrayaan-3 will make its first soft-landing attempt to the Moon's south pole region on 23 August. At present, the Lander module of Chandrayaan-3, comprising Vikram lander and Pragyan rover, after a successful deboosting, reduced their orbit to 113 km x 157 km. The second and final deboosting operation has also been successfully completed.
Launched on 14 July this year, Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2 to demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface.
Read all the latest updates about Chandrayaan-3 at Mint's LIVE blog:
Chandrayaan-3 live updates: ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 has successfully completed its final deboosting. “The second and final deboosting operation has successfully reduced the LM orbit to 25 km x 134 km. The module would undergo internal checks and await the sun-rise at the designated landing site. The powered descent is expected to commence on August 23, 2023, around 1745 Hrs. IST," the Indian Space Research Organisation informed.
Chandrayaan-3 versus Lune-25 live updates: Russia's national space agency Roskosmos reported that Russia's Luna-25 spacecraft faced an "abnormal situation" on Saturday as it was preparing to transfer to its pre-landing orbit.
The Russian spacecraft is expected to land on the south pole of the moon on August 21 - two days ahead of ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 landing on August 23.
"During the operation, an abnormal situation occurred on board the automatic station, which did not allow the manoeuvre to be performed with the specified parameters," Roskosmos said in a short statement. Specialists are analysing the situation, it said, without providing further details, reported Reuters.
Chandrayaan-3 live updates: Rough terrain is expected to complicate a landing on the lunar south pole. A previous attempt by Chandrayaan-2, India’s moon mission, crashed in 2019 near where the Chandrayaan-3 will attempt a touchdown.
Chandrayaan-3 landing: Russia's moon mission is on track to land the Luna-25 on August 21 - merely two days ahead of India's Chandrayaan-3 expected landing on August 23. While the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the Chandrayaan-3 on July 11, Russia’s spacecraft started a more direct course to the Moon on August 11 in an attempt to claim the first historic stake.
Former Chief Controller (R&D) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Apathukatha Sivathanu Pillai on Saturday expressed confidence in the Chandrayaan-3 mission's success.
"Now nearing 100 km orbit, it came to 30 km and then started descending to the moon. It will be 100 per cent successful," ANI quoted Pillai as saying.
"A major event is the 4800 N Thrusters. They have to fire to take it to the lower orbit. That will also be done in two steps (first completed yesterday) and ensuring that all the systems are working properly these two steps will go down, put a 100-kilometre orbit. Then from 100 go to the 30-kilometre orbit... that's very very vital," Former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientist, Mylswamy Annadurai said while speaking to ANI.
He further said that the position of the module has to be ascertained properly. So then from the 30 kilometre onwards, how to move, how to thrust to fire, what orientation to fire, and whether along it will reduce the velocity in the horizontal. Then it has to composite vertical also it has to vertical fall, also it has to reduce. So that way a lot of manoeuvres to be done. And while doing it, it has to make sure that it is going on the proper path. So already loaded pictures of the lunar terrain will be there. Check against that and try to identify the place where it's supposed to land. It is also supposed to have been already loaded in the system.
"So all these activities will be done by the lander. The lander will start its real action…," Annadurai added.
• Safe and soft landing demonstration on the lunar surface
• Rover roving demonstration on the moon
• Execution of in-situ scientific experiments (HT)
Differences between Chandrayaan-3 and its predecessor, Chandrayaan-2:
Orbiter Exclusion:
• Chandrayaan-3 skips carrying an orbiter, unlike Chandrayaan-2.
• Chandrayaan-2's orbiter remains operational, providing valuable data.
Enhanced Launch Capability:
• Launched via LVM3 (previously GSLV Mk III), Chandrayaan-3 gains powerful launch capability.
• Increased fuel capacity allows extra manoeuvres and extended travel.
• Reinforced landing legs ensure a safer and more stable lunar touchdown.
Improved Instrumentation:
• Upgraded sensors and larger solar panels characterize Chandrayaan-3.
• Increased solar panel size generates more energy for onboard systems.
• Introduction of 'Laser Doppler VelociMeter' to accurately measure spacecraft speed.
Enhanced Algorithm and Software:
• Chandrayaan-3 benefits from lessons learned from Chandrayaan-2.
• Algorithm and software refined to mitigate software glitches.
• Landing target area expanded from 500x500m to 4x2.4km for added flexibility.
Propulsion Module and Payload:
• Chandrayaan-3's propulsion module transports lander and rover to a 100km lunar orbit.
• Includes Spectro-polarimetry of Habitable Planet Earth (SHAPE) payload for studying smaller planets.
The Lander Module, which will soon touch the south pole of the Moon, consists of the lander Vikram and the rover Pragyan. The lander has been named ‘Vikram’ after Vikram Sarabhai (1919–1971), who is widely regarded as the father of the Indian space programme and the founder of our country's space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). (HT)
Chandrayaan, which means "moon vehicle" in Sanskrit, has been built on a budget of just under ₹615 crore. The approved cost of Chandrayaan-3 is ₹250 crores (excluding launch vehicle cost).
Writers and rationalists who criticised ISRO scientist's visit to Tirupati Venkatachalapathy temple before Chandrayaan-3's launch, have now received a death threat via an anonymous letter.
The letter read, "There will be punishment for this evil act".
Chandrayaan-3 LIVE: According to ISRO, the lander module's three payloads will study the lunar surface. Payload RAMBHA-LP will measure plasma ions and electrons density. haSTE Chandra's Surface Thermo Physical Experiment -- to carry out the measurements of thermal properties of the lunar surface near the polar region. And, ILSA (Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity) will measure seismicity around the landing site.
The Rover, after the soft-landing, derives the chemical composition and infers the mineralogical composition of the Moon. Rover's other payload-Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS)- will determine the elemental composition of lunar soil and rocks around the lunar landing site.
Chandrayaan-3 LIVE: With India attempting to send its Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft (comprising Lander Vikram and Rover Pragyan) to the Moon, here is the list of seven rovers that were sent to the celestial body so far. China and the Soviets have sent two rovers each to the Moon till now. China's Yutu (2013) and Yutu-2 (2019) and Soviet's Lunkokhod 1 (1970) and Lunkokhod 2 (1973) were sent to the Moon. On the other hand, America has sent three rovers to the Moon--Apollo 16 LRV (1972), Apollo 15 LRV (1971), and Apollo 17 LRV (1972), respectively.
Chandrayaan-3 LIVE: ISRO Chairman has revealed that the critical part during the soft landing of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft would be the direction of the spacecraft. He said the velocity at the start of the landing process is almost 1.68 km per second, but this speed is horizontal to the surface of the moon. The Chandrayaan-3 here is tilted almost 90 degrees, it has to become vertical. "The ability to transfer the spacecraft from horizontal to vertical direction is the 'trick we have to play' here," ISRO Chairman said.
The soft landing of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft will take place at Moon's south polar region. Russia's Luna-25 spacecraft is also projected to soft-land in the same region. So far no country has made a soft landing at Moon's south polar region. However, soft-landings at the equitorial region of the Moon have been done in the past by the US, China and Russia.
Learning from Chandrayaan-2's mistake, the landing area of Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft has been increased to 4km x 2.5 km. The Chandrayaan-2's landing site was small-- within a 500mx500m area.
The historic landing of the Lander module of the Chandrayaan-3 comprising, Vikram lander and Pragyan rover, is projected on the lunar south pole is scheduled at 5:47 (IST) next Wednesday.
At present, the Lander module of Chandrayaan-3, comprising Vikram lander and rover Pragyan, underwent a deboosting operation yesterday that reduced its orbit to 113 km x 157 km. Whereas, the Propulsion Module will continue its journey in the current orbit for months/years, according to the ISRO.
From Chandrayaan-3 to the Luna-25 mission to NASA's Artemis II, the space scientists have often shown interest for the Moon since centuries. Why are major powers so interested in the Moon?
1. The moon, which is 384,400 km (238,855 miles) from our planet, moderates the earth's wobble on its axis which ensures a more stable climate. It also causes tides in the world's oceans.
2. The first definitive discovery of water on the moon was made in 2008 by the Indian mission Chandrayaan-1, which detected hydroxyl molecules spread across the lunar surface and concentrated at the poles, according to NASA. Water is crucial for human life and also can be a source of hydrogen and oxygen - and these can be used for rocket fuel.
3. Helium-3 is an isotope of helium that is rare on Earth, but NASA says there are estimates of a million tonnes of it on the moon. This isotope could provide nuclear energy in a fusion reactor but since it is not radioactive it would not produce dangerous waste, according to the European Space Agency.
4. Rare earth metals - used in smartphones, computers, and advanced technologies - are present on the moon, including scandium, yttrium, and the 15 lanthanides, according to research by Boeing.
Three countries have managed to soft-land on the Moon. After several unsuccessful attempts, the US' Surveyor 1 made a soft landing on the moon in 1966. China's Chang'e 3 successfully landed on its first attempt. Just a month before Surveyor 1, the Soviet Union recorded this accomplishment with Luna 9.
Chandrayaan 3 LIVE: The major challenges of soft landing on the Moon are--
Soft landing of the lunar module means going from the speed of 6,000 km/hour to zero. After the current stage, Vikram lander will reorient itself to 90 degrees for safe landing on Moon's surface. At around 100 metre altitude, the lander will scan the complications, if no such things are found, it would gradually descend, firing its thrusters until touchdown.
It will be a historic moment for India if Chandrayaan-3 lands on Moon's south polar region. However, India is facing a challenge from Russia, whose Luna-25 is expected to land a day or two earlier. Luna-25 launched on 10 August has taken a more direct route to the moon, and could make a soft landing at Moon's south polar region on 21 August.
Chandrayaan-3 LIVE: India's first mission to Moon was Chandrayaan-1 which was launched on 22 October 2008. The spacecraft carried 11 scientific instruments built in India, the US, the UK, Germany, Sweden, and Bulgaria. Chnadrayaan-1 orbited around the Moon at a height of 100 km from the lunar surface for chemical, mineralogical, and photo-geologic mapping of the Moon. 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.
Chandrayaan-3 LIVE: According to ISRO chief S Somanath, there were three reasons that led to the crashlanding of Chandrayaan-2's Vikram lander on 6 September 2019 just minutes before the touchdown. The ISRO chief said, "five engines of the lander generating higher thrust, limitation of the software to detect errors and small landing site" were the main reasons that led to the failure of Chandrayaan-2.
Chandrayaan-3 LIVE: Chandrayaan-3 mission is important because it is India's space agency, ISRO's second attempt to send a spacecraft to the Moon's south polar region. In 2019, ISRO's Chandrayaan-2 failed as the Lander Vikram crashed during the soft landing on the Moon. The first Chandrayaan mission was attempted in 2008.
With Chandrayaan-3, ISRO has high hopes that the spacecraft will be successful in completing its objectives. ISRO officials have left no stone unturned to ensure smiles in August when the landing is planned.
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.
Chandrayaan-3 is speculated to land on Moon on 23 August (Wednesday) or 24 August (Thursday).
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Chandrayaan-3 LIVE: Either India or Russia will create a record of soft-landing on Moon's south polar region next week. Until now, the soft landing has been done at Moon's equitorial region only by the US, China and Russia. Spacecraft missions to the Moon have primarily targeted the equatorial region due to its favourable terrain and operating conditions. However, the lunar south pole presents a vastly different and more challenging terrain compared to the equatorial region. India has chosen Moon's south polar region for the exploration because the Lunar South Pole remains much larger than that at the North pole. There could be a possibility of presence of water in permanently shadowed areas around it.
At the lunar South Pole, the Sun hovers below or just above the horizon, creating temperatures above 54 degrees Celsius during sunlit periods. Even during these periods of illumination, some craters are home to permanently shadowed regions that haven’t seen sunlight in billions of years and experience temperatures as low as -203 degrees Celsius.
Even using advanced sensors, the combination of terrain and lighting conditions will make it difficult to tell what the ground looks like from a vehicle descending to the lunar South Pole.
The lunar south pole offers extreme and contrasting conditions that pose challenges for humans but it makes them potential repositories of valuable information about the early Solar System.
Russia has also launched moon-landing spacecraft which is expected to soft-land on 21 August. Russia has taken a more direct course to reach the Moon's south pole, therefore the Luna-25 is expected to land two days before India's spacecraft.
According to Russian state space corporation Roscosmos, Luna-25 automatic landing module has corrected its circumlunar trajectory and is preparing to land on the Moon.
ISRO has released a short video of the Moon, captured by Chandrayaan-3's Lander Position Detection Camera onboard spacecraft on 15 August 2023.
The deboosting of the lander module of Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft means the process of slowing down of the lander to an orbit where the Perilune (the orbit's closest point to the Moon) and Apolune (farthest point from the Moon) are only a few kilometres away from the spacecraft. The deboosting will help in the soft landing on the Moon.
The second deboosting of the lander module of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft will take place on 20 August, Sunday, ISRO said. The first deboosting took place on Friday evening.
The Lander Module of Chandrayaan-3 had successfully separated from the Propulsion Module on Thursday, 35 days after the satellite was launched on July
ISRO said that the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft's Vikram lander underwent a deboosting operation that reduced its orbit to 113 km x 157 km. The health of the lander module, comprising the lander (Vikram) and the rover (Pragyan), is normal even after deboosting, the Indian space agency added.
