Chandrayaan-3, India’s upcoming lunar exploration mission, aims to delicately land on the moon’s surface and showcase its rover’s navigational capabilities. This sophisticated and automated undertaking will be led by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). The organization plans to launch the mission from the Satish Dhawan Space Station in Andhra province, Sriharikota on the southeast coast.
If the launch does not proceed as scheduled, there is a window for attempt until Wednesday. If the launch is not feasible within this window, it will need to be postponed until September.
For this mission, ISRO will deploy a spacecraft trio consisting of a module to establish orbit around the moon, a lander named Vikram to reach the lunar surface, and Pragyan, a six-wheeled mini-rover set to explore a region near the lunar South Pole.
The landing is projected to take place on August 23 or 24, barring any launch delays. To accomplish this, ISRO will utilize its most powerful GSLV Mk III rocket, which typically launches communication satellites. The rocket will be pushed to its limits to lift the 8,600-pound payload.
Once on the moon’s surface, Pragyan will spend approximately two weeks (equivalent to one lunar day) analyzing the soil temperature using a thermal probe inserted to a depth of 4 inches. This measurement is critical for understanding the presence, stability, and mobility of water on the moon, according to planetary scientist K. Durga Prasad.
The environment on the moon’s surface, particularly during the night, poses challenges due to extreme temperatures that drop hundreds of degrees below freezing. These conditions can affect the functionality of the rover’s batteries.
In addition to temperature measurements, the rover is equipped with a mass spectrometer to study soil composition, a seismograph to detect moon quakes, and an instrument to evaluate the interaction of subatomic particles from the sun with sand and dust.
This mission, Chandrayaan-3, follows the setback of Chandrayaan-2, which experienced a failure during its final minutes of landing in September 2019. Indian scientists have since made extensive modifications to ensure the success of Chandrayaan-3. Unlike Chandrayaan-2, this mission will not carry an orbiter as the previous one is still operational and transmitting valuable data.
India’s exploration of the moon can be traced back to 2008 when Chandrayaan-1 confirmed the presence of water molecules on the lunar surface, despite not achieving a landing.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
