Chandrayaan-3: India’s Triumph in Lunar Exploration

• Chandrayaan-3 is a significant milestone in India's space exploration journey, cementing the country's position among the world's leading spacefaring nations.
• Launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Chandrayaan-3 successfully soft-landed on the surface of the Moon on August 23, 2023, making India the fourth country to achieve this feat after the US, Russia, and China.
• Notably, it became the first mission to land near the Moon's South Pole, a region of high scientific interest.

Objectives of Chandrayaan-3

• After the partial success of Chandrayaan-2 in 2019, ISRO developed Chandrayaan-3 with a focused approach.

Objectives of the mission:

• To successfully soft-land on the surface of the Moon.
• To deploy a rover to study the lunar terrain.
• To conduct scientific experiments related to lunar soil composition and seismic activity.
• To demonstrate technological advancements for future interplanetary missions.

Chandrayaan-3 consisted of three primary components:

• Vikram Lander: Named after Dr Vikram Sarabhai, the father of India's space programme, the lander successfully landed at the 'Shiva Shakti' point near the South Pole of the Moon.
• Pragyaan Rover: Deployed from the lander, the six-wheeled Pragyaan Rover carried out scientific experiments and transmitted valuable data back to Earth.
• Propulsion Module: This module carried the lander-rover combination into lunar orbit before separating.

Key Achievements

• First mission to land near the south pole of the Moon: The region is believed to contain water ice, which could be crucial for future habitation and exploration on the Moon.
• Soft Landing Success: Unlike Chandrayaan-2, which faced technical challenges during landing, Chandrayaan-3 pulled off a precise landing.
• Scientific Discoveries: The rover analysed the surface of the Moon, detecting elements such as sulphur, aluminium and calcium, helping to understand the composition of the Moon.

Launch and execution

• Chandrayaan-3 was launched on a GSLV Mk III (LVM-3) rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
• After entering lunar orbit, the propulsion module successfully deployed the lander for a controlled descent.
• The Vikram lander used on-board sensors, cameras and algorithms to navigate and land safely.

Global impact

• India's success with Chandrayaan-3 has cemented its reputation in space exploration.
• It has set the stage for future collaborative missions with global space agencies, boosting partnerships in lunar and deep space exploration.

Future prospects

• After Chandrayaan-3, ISRO plans to:
  • Develop lunar habitats for long-term exploration.
  • Collaborate in international missions for human spaceflight to the Moon.
  • Carry out the Gaganyaan mission, India's first manned space mission.

Other Lunar Missions

Chandrayaan-4

• The Indian government has approved the Chandrayaan-4 mission, which will be the successor to Chandrayaan-3.

Objective:

• Develop and demonstrate key technologies for landing on the Moon, collecting lunar samples, and safely returning them to Earth.
• It will serve as a foundation for an eventual Indian human landing on the Moon, planned by 2040.
• This mission will be a major step towards India's long-term lunar exploration goals, including future sustained lunar presence and resource utilization.

LUPEX Mission (Lunar Polar Exploration Mission)

• The LUPEX mission is a collaborative project between ISRO (India) and JAXA (Japan).

Objective:

• Investigate the quantity and quality of water ice on the Moon.
• Explore the Moon's permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) to study their composition and resource potential.

Landing Site:

• The South Pole of the Moon, where water ice is expected to be abundant.
• However, landing at the lunar South Pole is challenging due to rough terrain, deep craters, and limited sunlight for solar-powered instruments.
• This mission aims to enhance our understanding of lunar water deposits, which could be crucial for future human exploration and in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) on the Moon.