ISRO Set For Chandrayaan-3 Launch: Goals, Preparations And Challenges

New Delhi:

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is gearing up for the launch of Chandrayaan-3 on Friday. The spacecraft is loaded with more fuel, a number of fail-safe measures, and a bigger landing site than its predecessor, Chandrayaan-2. This time, ISRO is determined to land on the moon successfully.

Chandrayaan-3, scheduled to be launched from Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota, will make India the fourth country to land a spacecraft on the surface of the moon after the United States, Russia and China.

According to ISRO, the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft will reach the lunar orbit about a month after its launch on Friday. The lander, Vikram, and the rover, Pragyaan, are expected to land on the moon on August 23.

The Mission

The spacecraft will be launched by the LVM3 rocket from SDSC SHAR in Sriharikota. According to ISRO, the propulsion module will carry the lander and rover configuration to a 100 km lunar orbit, where the lander will separate and attempt a soft landing. 

The propulsion module will also carry a Spectro-polarimetry of Habitable Planet Earth (SHAPE) payload, which will study the spectral and polarimetric measurements of earth from the lunar orbit.

The Objectives

Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-up mission to Chandrayaan-2 that aims to demonstrate India’s ability to safely land a spacecraft on the moon and have a rover roam the lunar surface. The rover will collect data on the composition and geology of the moon.

Additionally, it will conduct scientific experiments to study the moon’s environment, including its history, geology, and potential for resources.

The Challenges

Landing on the moon is a complex and challenging task.

In July 2019, India’s previous attempt to land a spacecraft on the moon, Chandrayaan-2, was met with a major setback when the Vikram lander crashed during its descent to the lunar surface.

According to ISRO, Chandrayaan-3 has been designed with more fuel, which will give it the ability to travel farther, handle dispersion, or move to an alternate landing site if necessary.

“We looked at very many failures – sensor failure, engine failure, algorithm failure, calculation failure. So, whatever be the failure we want it to land at the required speed and rate. So, there are different failure scenarios calculated and programmed inside,” ISRO chief S Somanath said as quoted by news agency PTI.

The ISRO chief said that the Vikram lander has been modified to ensure that it generates power no matter how it lands. The lander has also been tested for its ability to withstand higher velocities and has additional solar panels on other surfaces.