Chandrayaan-3 is India’s third lunar mission and second attempt to achieve a soft landing on the moon’s surface. India launched Chanderyaan-3 mission on 14 July 2023 form the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Shriharikota.
Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft consists of a lander module called Vikram, a propulsion module (Priyadarshini) and a rover (Pragyan which means “wisdom” in Sanskrint). The lander module (Vikram) will touch down on the lunar surface near the South Pole and the rover will explore the surrounding area on surface of moon.
The mission has three main objectives:
- To demonstrate or show the ability to soft-land on lunar surface without any crashes.
- To conduct the scientific experiments on moon to learn more about the moon’s surface and how it formed.
- To lay the foundation for future lunar missions.
Chandrayaan-3 mission is an important step in India’s space program. It is the first Indian mission to attempt a soft landing on the lunar surface after Chandrayaan-2 in 2019. The success of Chandrayaan-3 is a major achievement for India and will help further its reputation as a leading spacefaring nation.
The mission has been completed smoothly. The spacecraft was successfully inserted into lunar orbit on August 5, 2023. The lander and rover were separated from the propulsion module (Priyadarshini) on 17 August 2023. The de-boosting operation was confirmed to be successful on August 18, 2023.
The lander vikram has touched down on the lunar surface on 23 August 2023 and the point where lander touched the surface on moon is to be known as Shiv Shakti. The rover pragyan is be deployed to explore the surrounding area.
The Chandrayaan-3 mission is a challenging one, but the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is confident of its success. The mission is a testament to India’s growing capabilities in space exploration and is a major milestone in the country’s journey to becoming a leading spacefaring nation.
Scientific Goals of Chandrayaan-3
The scientific goals of Chandrayaan-3 are to:
- Study the lunar surface and subsurface with help of tools on the lander and rover to study the moon’s surface and even collect samples from below.
- They want to learn more about how the moon formed and how it changed over the time.
- Exploration for water ice on the moon means finding water on the moon is important for future missions, so they will search for it.
- Understand the radiation environment of the moon.
- Develop technologies for future lunar missions.
The lander and rover will carry a variety of instruments to carry out these scientific investigations. The lander will have a drill to collect samples from the lunar surface, while the rover will have a suite of instruments to analyze the lunar rocks and soil.
The Chandrayaan-3 mission is predictable to make significant contributions to India’s understanding about the moon. The mission will also help to pave the way for future lunar missions, such as India’s proposed human lunar mission.
The Future of Chandrayaan
The success of Chandrayaan-3 mission would be a major boost for India’s space program and it will help to pave the way for future lunar missions. The ISRO has already announced plans for a fourth lunar mission i.e. Chandrayaan-4 and is scheduled to be launch by ISRO in 2024.
Chandrayaan-4 is expected to be even more ambitious than Chandrayaan-3. The mission will include a lander, a rover and a lunar orbiter. The lander will be designed to soft-land on the lunar surface near the North Pole and the rover will explore the surrounding area.
The lunar orbiter will be used to study the moon’s surface and atmosphere. The orbiter will also be used to communicate with the lander and rover.
The success of Chandrayaan-4 would be a major achievement for India and it will help to enhance the reputation of India as a leading space faringnation. The mission would also help to advance our understanding about the moon and its potential resources.
The Pros and Cons of Chandrayaan-3
Chandrayaan-3 is India’s third lunar mission and it was launched on 14 July 2023. The main goal of the mission is to soft-land a lander and rover on the lunar surface in the South Pole region.
Pros of Chandrayaan-3
Chandrayaan-3 mission is a major landmark for Indian space program. It will be the first Indian mission to soft-land on the lunar surface and to explore the lunar South Pole.
The mission will help India to further its research on the moon and to become a leading player in the global space race.
The mission will generate a wealth of scientific data about the moon. This data will help scientists to better understand the moon’s formation, evolution, and potential for life.
The mission will also help India to develop its space capabilities and to become a leading player in the global space race.
Cons of Chandrayaan-3
The mission is a challenging one. The South Pole region of the moon is a very harsh environment and the lander and rover will have to operate in extreme conditions.
The mission is also little expensive. The total Budget for the chandrayaan-3 mission is 615 Crores.
There is always the risk of failure. Any space mission carries a risk of failure, and Chandrayaan-3 is no exception.
Overall, the pros of Chandrayaan-3 outweigh the cons. The mission is a major milestone for India’s space program, and it has the potential to generate a wealth of scientific data about the moon. The mission is also a challenging one, but the ISRO has a good track record of success, and they are confident that they can overcome the challenges.
Here are some additional details about the pros and cons of Chandrayaan-3:
Pros:
The mission will help India to learn from the lessons of Chandrayaan-2 and to achieve a soft-landing on the lunar surface.
The mission will also help India to develop new technologies for future moon missions.
The mission is a source of national pride for India and it will boost the morale of the Indian space community.
Cons:
The mission is a long and complex one and there is always the risk of failure.
The mission is also expensive and it is not clear how India will fund future lunar missions.
The mission is also controversial and some people believe that India should focus on other priorities, such as poverty alleviation.
Despite the challenges, Chandrayaan-3 is a significant mission for India. The success of the mission would be a major achievement for the ISRO and for India’s space program.