Chandrayaan-3 Launch Highlights: Journey to the Moon begins after successful launch

A group of 40 students from Punjab's Schools of Eminence (SoE) will have the opportunity to witness the launch of the Chandrayaan-3 mission at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. These Schools of Eminence are specialized educational institutions established by the AAP government in Punjab, catering to students from classes 9 to 12. The selection of students who will be present at Sriharikota for the launch was based on their performance in the SoE entrance examination. Priority was given to students from the science stream, aiming to provide them with valuable exposure in their field of study.

Chandrayaan-3 follows the unsuccessful Chandrayaan-2 mission, when the Vikram lander crashed onto the lunar surface in 2019. In the same year, the Israeli spacecraft Beresheet also failed to achieve its objective, and more recently, the Japanese-led mission Hakuto-R suffered a similar fate. So, why is achieving a soft landing on the Moon so challenging?

To begin with, the Moon is located over 384,400 kilometres away from our planet, making the journey significantly more demanding than reaching low-Earth orbit. Furthermore, the Moon possesses an extremely thin atmosphere, rendering atmospheric drag ineffective in slowing down spacecraft to a suitable landing speed. As a result, propulsion systems must be relied upon for descent, requiring additional fuel and advanced landing computation systems.

The final kilometres of the journey above the lunar surface are particularly crucial. Flight computers must perform rapid calculations and execute precise manoeuvres to ensure a successful landing. Additionally, the absence of a GPS system on the Moon further complicates matters, making it more challenging to land precisely within the predetermined safe landing area.

Here's the timeline of Chandrayaan-3 mission:

(Image: Twitter/MyGov)

ISRO will be launching its third mission to the Moon on July 14 at 2.35 pm from Sriharikota. The mission’s lander is expected to make a soft-landing on the lunar surface on August 23 or 24. Curtain raiser:

A soft landing refers to the vehicle's ability to touch down on the lunar surface without sustaining any damage. This controlled landing method ensures the preservation of the lunar probe's functionality upon reaching the surface. In the case of Chandrayaan-2, the soft landing was not achieved as the vehicle landed with a higher velocity than required, resulting in its failure to land without damage.

ISRO has announced that Chandrayaan-3 comprises an indigenous Lander module (LM), Propulsion module (PM), and a Rover. The Lander module has been equipped with the necessary capabilities to achieve a soft landing at a designated lunar site. Once landed, the Rover will be deployed to conduct chemical analysis of the lunar surface.

During a mission conducted by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the Vikram lander encountered a communication failure less than two minutes before its intended touchdown on the moon. The lander, positioned a mere 2.1 km away from achieving a remarkable milestone as the first spacecraft to make a gentle landing in the vicinity of the lunar South Pole.

As part of the Chandrayaan-2 lunar mission, the lander embarked on a controlled descent near the lunar South Pole, an area believed to potentially harbor water ice. It commenced its descent at 1:38 am on September 7, 2019, taking 10 minutes to decelerate from a velocity of 1,640 meters per second to 140 meters per second. Unfortunately, the crucial final phase, where it neared the moon's surface, was marred by the loss of communication with the lander.

The former chairman of ISRO referred to the final 15 minutes of the mission, during which the lander relied on its own propulsion to guide itself, as a period of intense anxiety often referred to as the “15 minutes of terror”. (Read more here)

In Pics | Indians celebrate mission to moon ahead of the launch scheduled at 14.35 pm. (Images/PTI)

Chandrayaan-3 distinguishes itself from Chandrayaan-2 through two notable differences. Firstly, it lacks an orbiter, unlike its predecessor. Secondly, it incorporates a payload known as Spectro-polarimetry of HAbitable Planet Earth (SHAPE), which was absent in Chandrayaan-2. The propulsion module of Chandrayaan-3 will be equipped with SHAPE.

The primary objective of SHAPE is to gather valuable data regarding the polarization of light that is reflected by Earth. This collected data holds significance for scientists engaged in the exploration of other planets that display similar light signatures. (Read about the differences in detail here)

Hello and welcome to the live coverage to India's mission to moon. This lunar expedition aims to achieve a soft landing on the moon's surface, following the Chandrayaan-2 mission in 2019. A successful outcome would place India in an exclusive group of nations, including the United States, China, and the former Soviet Union, that have accomplished this remarkable feat.

ISRO stated that the Chandrayaan-3 program represents a significant leap forward, showcasing the capability of soft-landing and lunar roving by its lunar module on the lunar terrain.

For all the latest updates on the moon mission, stay tuned here.