Chandrayaan-3: India’s Moonshot to Make History and Science
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Chandrayaan-3
is the third lunar exploration mission by the Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) . It is a follow-up to Chandrayaan-2, which failed to land
on the Moon in 2019 due to a software glitch . Chandrayaan-3 consists of a
lander and a rover, but no orbiter, unlike its predecessor . The mission was
launched on 14 July 2023 from Sriharikota using a GSLV Mark 3 rocket . The
lander and rover are expected to touch down near the lunar south pole on 23
August 2023 , where they will conduct various scientific experiments for 14
Earth days . The mission aims to demonstrate India’s capability of soft landing
on the Moon, as well as to study the lunar surface, subsurface, and atmosphere
. Chandrayaan-3 is also supported by international partners, such as ESA, which
will provide tracking services during the critical phases of the mission .
Chandrayaan-3 consists of a lander and the Pragyan rover
similar to Chandrayaan-2, but does not have an orbiter . This is because the
Chandrayaan-2 orbiter is still functioning and can provide communication and
navigation support to the new mission . The lander and rover are designed to
explore the lunar south pole region, where water ice and other resources may be
present. The lander carries four scientific instruments to study the lunar
environment, while the rover carries two instruments to analyse the lunar soil .
The propulsion module, which carries the lander and rover from Earth to the
Moon, also has a scientific payload to observe Earth's atmosphere from the
lunar orbit . Chandrayaan-3 is a demonstration of India's technological prowess
and scientific curiosity in lunar exploration .
Chandrayaan-3 has a propulsion module that behaves like a
communication relay satellite and carries the lander and rover configuration
until the spacecraft is in a 100 km lunar orbit . The propulsion module is
responsible for providing the thrust and guidance for the lunar transfer, orbit
insertion, and descent phases of the mission . It also has a scientific
instrument called SHAPE, which will observe Earth's atmosphere from the lunar orbit
using spectro-polarimetry . The propulsion module will communicate with the
Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) on Earth, as well as with the lander and rover
on the Moon . The propulsion module will separate from the lander and rover
once they reach the desired orbit for landing.
Chandrayaan-3 mission was launched on 14 July 2023, at 2:35
pm IST using a Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM 3) rocket from Satish Dhawan Space
Centre. The LVM 3 is India's most powerful rocket, capable of carrying up to 8 tonnes
of payload to low Earth orbit or 4 tonnes to geostationary transfer orbit . The
rocket has three stages: a solid core stage, a liquid core stage, and a
cryogenic upper stage . The rocket also has two solid strap-on boosters that
provide additional thrust during the initial phase of the launch . The rocket
successfully placed the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft into a highly elliptical Earth
orbit, from where it will perform several orbit-raising manoeuvres to reach the
Moon.
Chandrayaan-3 lander and rover are expected to land near the
lunar south pole region on 23 August 2023, at 17:47 IST. The landing site is between
Manzinus C and Simpelius N craters, where water ice and other resources may be
present. The landing will be a challenging task, as the south pole region has
rugged terrain, extreme temperature variations, and long periods of darkness.
The lander will use a combination of sensors, actuators, and propulsion systems
to perform a soft landing on the lunar surface . The rover will then egress
from the lander using a ramp and start exploring the landing site using its
cameras, spectrometers, and robotic arm. The lander and rover will communicate
with each other and with the Earth through the propulsion module and the
Chandrayaan-2 orbiter.
The landing site of Chandrayaan-3 is between Manzinus C and
Simpelius N craters, with coordinates of 69.367621 S, 32.348126 E . This site
is located in a high plain near the lunar south pole, where water ice and other
resources may be present. The site was chosen after a careful analysis of the
lunar topography, illumination, and communication conditions. The site also
offers a scientific opportunity to study the lunar environment and geology in a
region that has not been explored before. The landing is expected to take place
on 23 August 2023, at 17:47 IST, after a series of orbit maneuvers and powered
descent phases. The landing will be a historic achievement for India, as it
will be the first country to land near the lunar south pole.
One of the main motivations behind Chandrayaan-3 is to
overcome the failure of Chandrayaan-2, where a last-minute glitch in the
landing guidance software led to the lander crashing after entering lunar orbit
in 2019. The software error caused the lander to deviate from its planned
trajectory and tilt too much, resulting in a loss of control and a hard landing.
The lander also had limited fuel, sensors, and landing site options, which reduced
its chances of survival. Chandrayaan-3 has addressed these issues by improving
the software, hardware, and safety mechanisms of the lander and rover. The
mission has also chosen a larger landing site near the lunar south pole, where
water ice and other resources may be present. Chandrayaan-3 hopes to achieve
what Chandrayaan-2 could not – a soft landing on the Moon and a successful
deployment of the rover.
The mission has several scientific objectives, such as
studying the lunar topography, mineralogy, elemental abundance, lunar
exosphere, and signatures of hydroxyl and water ice. To achieve these
objectives, the mission carries various scientific instruments on board the
lander, rover, and propulsion module. The lander has four payloads that will
measure the seismic activity, thermal properties, atmospheric density, and
laser reflectance of the Moon. The rover has two payloads that will analyse the
chemical composition of the lunar soil using X-ray and laser spectroscopy ⁶.
The propulsion module has one payload that will observe Earth's atmosphere from
the lunar orbit using spectro-polarimetry. The mission will also use the
Chandrayaan-2 orbiter's payloads for further scientific investigations.
More Important Points for UPSC Exams :
1. It also carries a spectro-polarimeter to observe Earth's atmosphere from the
Moon.
2. The mission has several key upgrades that bring hope and
confidence, such as improved landing guidance software, enhanced sensors and
actuators, better thermal protection, and more robust communication systems.
3. The mission has received support from various
international agencies, such as the European Space Agency (ESA), which will
provide tracking services during the critical flight operations.
4. The mission life of the lander and rover is one lunar day
(~14 Earth days).
5. The total mass of the mission is 3900 kg, with 2148 kg
for the propulsion module and 1752 kg for the lander module (including rover of
26 kg).
6. The power generation of the propulsion module is 758 W,
of the lander module is 738W (with solar arrays), and of the rover is 50W (with
solar panels).
7. The propulsion module communicates with Indian Deep Space
Network (IDSN), while the lander module communicates with IDSN and rover.
Chandrayaan-2 orbiter is also planned for contingency link. The rover
communicates only with the lander.
8. The lander carries four science payloads: Radio Anatomy
of Moon Bound Hypersensitive ionosphere and Atmosphere (RAMBHA), Chandra’s
Surface Thermo physical Experiment (ChaSTE), Instrument for Lunar Seismic
Activity (ILSA), and Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA).
9. The rover carries two science payloads: Alpha Particle
X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) and Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS).
10. The propulsion module carries one science payload:
Spectro-polarimetry of HAbitable Planet Earth (SHAPE).
11. The lander has nine sensors: Laser Inertial Referencing
and Accelerometer Package (LIRAP), Ka-Band Altimeter (KaRA), Lander Position
Detection Camera (LPDC), Lander Hazard Detection & Avoidance Camera
(LHDAC), Laser Altimeter (LASA), Laser Doppler Velocimeter (LDV), Lander
Horizontal Velocity Camera (LHVC), Micro Star sensor, Inclinometer &
Touchdown sensors.
12. The lander has four reaction wheels (10 Nms & 0.1
Nm) as actuators.
13. The lander has a bi-propellant propulsion system (MMH +
MON3), with four 800 N throttleable engines and eight 58 N throttleable
engines.
14. The lander has several mechanisms, such as landing legs
with crushable structure, ramp for rover egress, solar panel deployment
mechanism, high-gain antenna deployment mechanism, etc.
15. The rover has six wheels, each driven by an independent
motor.
16. The rover has two cameras: Navigation Camera (NAVCAM)
and Panoramic Camera (PANCAM).
17. The rover has a robotic arm with a drill for collecting
samples.
18. The rover has a data transmission system for sending the
collected data to the lander.
19. The rover has a thermal control system for maintaining
the temperature of the electronics and payloads.
20. The rover has a fault detection and recovery system for
handling anomalies.
21. The rover has a mobility system for steering and driving
on the lunar terrain.
