India is preparing for its third mission to the moon, aiming to accomplish what its predecessors could not. The objective of the mission is to showcase India’s capability to safely land and explore the lunar surface. If successful, India will become the fourth country to achieve a soft landing on the moon, joining the ranks of the United States, Russia, and China. The previous attempts by Israel, India, Japan, and the UAE all encountered failures.
The first moon rocket, Chandrayaan-1, was launched in 2008 and achieved lunar orbit insertion. The goals for Chandrayaan-3 remain the same, but scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have learned valuable lessons from the past mission. The lander design has been improved through rigorous testing to ensure its performance in various scenarios, such as deviations from the landing spot, electronic or sensor failures, and higher velocity than required.
The mission will begin with the spacecraft launched into an orbit around the Earth at an altitude of 179 km on July 14. Through a series of maneuvers, the spacecraft will gradually increase its orbit to escape Earth’s gravity and head towards the moon. As it approaches the moon, the spacecraft will be captured by lunar gravity, followed by additional maneuvers to achieve a 100×100 km circular orbit. Subsequently, the lander, carrying the rover within it, will separate from the propulsion module and initiate a powered descent. This entire process is estimated to take around 42 days, with the landing planned for August 23 at lunar dawn.
It is important for the lander and rover to land precisely at dawn, as lunar days and nights last for 14 Earth days each. The extreme drop in temperature during lunar nights makes it impossible for the lander and rover to survive beyond one lunar day. Therefore, landing at dawn ensures they have the best chance of maximizing their operational time on the moon’s surface.
