New Delhi: As D-day approaches for the much-anticipated soft landing of India’s third moon mission, Chandrayaan-3, 1.4 billion Indians hold their collective breath. People across the nation are offering prayers for a successful mission by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The scheduled time for Chandrayaan-3’s soft landing on the moon’s south pole is 18:04 IST on August 23, 2023, with the powered descent of the Vikram lander expected at 17:45 IST.
The live telecast of the landing operations at the Mission Operation Complex (MOX) will commence at 17:20 IST on Wednesday. Live coverage of the landing will be available on the ISRO website, its YouTube channel, Facebook, and the public broadcaster DD National TV from 17:27 IST on August 23, 2023.
In its latest update on Chandrayaan-3’s soft landing, ISRO has confirmed that the mission is proceeding as planned, with systems undergoing regular checks. Additionally, ISRO released a series of up-close images of the moon, aiding the lander module in determining its position (latitude and longitude) by matching them against an onboard moon reference map.
If successful, this mission will make India the only country to land on the lunar south pole, known for its rough and challenging conditions. It would also be India’s fourth successful moon landing, following the United States, China, and Russia.
Traditionally, lunar missions have targeted the equatorial region due to its favorable terrain and operating conditions. However, the lunar south pole presents significantly more challenging terrain. All eyes are on Chandrayaan-3, especially after Russia’s Luna-25 mission recently failed. Let’s take a look at the sequence of India’s mission since its launch 41 days ago.
The spacecraft was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota on July 14. It was carried into orbit by a GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) heavy-lift launch vehicle. On August 5, it was successfully inserted into lunar orbit, after which it underwent a series of orbital maneuvers to bring it closer to the moon’s surface.
ISRO has consistently reported that the spacecraft’s health remains “normal” since the July 14 launch. On August 17, a significant milestone was achieved as the ‘Vikram’ lander module successfully separated from the propulsion module. The lander is named after Vikram Sarabhai, widely regarded as the father of the Indian space program.
Following this, the lander module underwent a two-phase deboosting process to position itself in an orbit with the closest point to the moon. Chandrayaan-3 aims for a safe and soft landing on the lunar surface, with a rover for in-situ scientific experiments. The mission’s approved cost is Rs 250 crores (excluding launch vehicle cost).
Chandrayaan-3’s development began in January 2020, with an initial launch planned for 2021. However, the COVID-19 pandemic caused unforeseen delays. Astro-scientists believe that Chandrayaan-2’s mapping of the moon’s surface will benefit Chandrayaan-3, as those maps can be used for the soft landing.
Astronomer Priya Hasan noted that Chandrayaan-2, despite being “partially successful” due to a lost lander, has played a critical role. The Chandrayaan-2 orbiter, still in lunar orbit, established two-way communication with the Chandrayaan-3 lander module earlier this week, aiding the current mission.
The world watches with bated breath as India aims to achieve another remarkable milestone in its space exploration journey.
