India’s lunar exploration journey reached a historic milestone as its Moon rover, part of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, took its first steps on the lunar surface. This achievement followed the groundbreaking achievement of becoming the first country to achieve a soft landing near the Moon’s south pole. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) proudly announced that the Chandrayaan-3’s rover successfully disembarked from the lander, marking India’s momentous walk on the Moon.
The Vikram lander, a crucial component of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, executed a flawless touchdown as planned on Wednesday evening. This triumph positioned India alongside the United States, the former Soviet Union, and China, as the fourth nation to achieve a lunar surface landing.
Yet, even in the wake of this achievement, ISRO’s ambitious pursuit of space exploration is far from over. A constellation of upcoming missions reflects India’s determination to push the boundaries of space science.
Take a look at some of the upcoming ISRO missions:
Studying the Sun
One of the most imminent projects on ISRO’s docket is the Aditya L1 mission, a pioneering Indian endeavour to study the Sun. Scheduled for launch in early September, this mission holds paramount importance. ISRO explained that Aditya L1 will orbit the Lagrange point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system, located about 1.5 million kilometres from Earth. The unique position at L1 ensures continuous observation of the Sun without interruptions from occultations or eclipses, facilitating real-time monitoring of solar activities and their impact on space weather.
ISRO-NASA Collaboration
Collaboration on the global stage is another cornerstone of ISRO’s initiatives. In partnership with NASA, ISRO is actively working on a groundbreaking Earth Observation Satellite known as NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar). This advanced satellite, currently under construction in Bengaluru, is anticipated to launch early next year. NISAR’s sophisticated technology will track minute movements of Earth’s land and ice surfaces, generating invaluable insights into critical aspects such as climate change, deforestation, glacier melt, and geological phenomena. With its regular observations, NISAR is set to enhance understanding of various natural processes.
First Manned Space Flight
ISRO’s aspirations extend even further, reaching toward the stars themselves. India’s first manned space flight, the Gaganyaan project, is in the works. Originally slated for 2020, the project faced delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The mission envisions launching a crew of three members into a 400-kilometre orbit for a three-day mission before safely returning to Earth by landing in the Indian Ocean. The path to the manned flight involves two unmanned precursor missions. The first of these unmanned crew module missions is scheduled for the beginning of the upcoming year.
Studying Astronomical X-Ray Sources
Another pioneering effort underway is ISRO’s dedicated polarimetry mission, aimed at studying the intricacies of bright astronomical X-ray sources in extreme conditions. This mission, set to launch later this year or in early 2024, holds immense promise for unraveling the complex emission mechanisms from various cosmic sources, such as black holes, neutron stars, and pulsar wind nebulae. By measuring the degree and angle of polarization, ISRO aims to harness polarimetry as a powerful tool for understanding these enigmatic phenomena.
As India’s space agency continues to push boundaries and embrace collaboration, these forthcoming projects stand as testaments to ISRO’s dedication to scientific discovery, technological advancement, and humanity’s unquenchable curiosity about the cosmos.