10 Facts about Chandrayaan 3
Chandrayaan 2, the second lunar exploration mission launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), experienced a significant setback and failure during its landing attempt on September 7, 2019. Following Chandrayaan-2, where a last-minute software glitch in the soft landing guidance software led to the failure of the lander’s soft landing attempt after a successful orbital insertion, another lunar mission was proposed.
The Mission name is Chandrayaan 3. Building upon the lessons learned from its predecessors, Chandrayaan 3 represents a refined and enhanced version of its predecessors’ design and capabilities. With an ambitious objective to further our understanding of Earth’s closest celestial companion, Chandrayaan 3 is poised to unlock new frontiers of knowledge and open doors to possibilities yet unexplored.
Here are some facts about Chandrayaan 3
1. Chandrayaan 3 will launch on July 14, 2023, at 2:35 pm. It will be launched by LVM3 from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota.
2. ISRO Chairman K.Sivan stated that the cost of this auspicious project would be around 615Cr.
3. Chandrayaan 3 comprises 3 main components. They are Propulsion Module, Lander, and Rover. The propulsion module weighs 2148 Kg. The Lander Module weighs 1752 kg including the Rover of 26 kg. The total weight of the spacecraft is 3900 Kg.
4. The mission objectives of Chandrayaan-3 are:
To demonstrate a Safe and Soft Landing on the Lunar Surface. To demonstrate Rover roving on the moon and To conduct in-situ scientific experiments.
5. The launcher identified for Chandrayaan-3 is GSLV-Mk3 which will place the integrated module in an Elliptic Parking Orbit (EPO) of size 170 x 36500 km.
6. Laser & RF based Altimeters, Laser Doppler Velocimeter & Lander Horizontal Velocity Camera, Laser Gyro based Inertial referencing and Accelerometer package, 800N Throttleable Liquid Engines, 58N attitude thrusters & Throttleable Engine Control Electronics, Powered Descent Trajectory design and associate software elements, Lander Hazard Detection & Avoidance Camera and Landing Leg Mechanism are the several advanced technologies are present in Lander.
7. The spacecraft, after 16 minutes of lift-off, its propulsion module is expected to get separated from the rocket and orbit around the Earth about 5-6 times in an elliptical cycle with 36500 Km farthest and 170 Km closest from the Earth towards the Lunar orbit. The propulsion module will carry the lander and rover configuration till the 100 km lunar orbit.
8. Chandrayaan 3 is going to make a soft landing on the moon on August 23.
9. Success in this mission will make India the fourth country to land its Spacecraft on the surface of the Moon after the United States, China, and the former Soviet Union.
10. The moon’s south pole region has been chosen because the Lunar South Pole is much larger in area than the North Pole. There could be a possibility of the presence of water in permanently shadowed areas around it.
