Chandrayaan-3 Mission Achieves Historic Landing at Moon's South Pole, Making India a Pioneer

In a monumental achievement, India has marked its place in history by successfully executing the Chandrayaan-3 mission, achieving a successful landing on the unexplored lunar south pole. This remarkable endeavor is expected to open new frontiers of knowledge about the moon, particularly its south pole region believed to contain significant reserves of water ice.

 

Chandrayaan-3 Mission Achieves Historic Landing

The Chandrayaan-3 mission, the latest iteration of India's ambitious lunar exploration program, has achieved an unprecedented milestone by successfully touching down on the lunar surface. This momentous accomplishment comes after the previous Chandrayaan-2 mission faced setbacks in 2019.

The historic lunar landing occurred precisely at 5:34 am PT (6:04 pm IST) on a Wednesday, over a month subsequent to the spacecraft's launch. This achievement propelled India into the esteemed rank of the fourth nation globally to accomplish a soft landing on the moon, following the Soviet Union, the United States, and China. Even more remarkable, India now stands as the sole country to have achieved a landing on the moon's southern polar region. This uncharted territory holds immense promise for deepening our comprehension of lunar atmospheric dynamics and creating pathways for forthcoming space exploration initiatives.

Also Read-Chandrayaan 3: What is Chandrayaan 3, what is the purpose and what are its features

Addressing the audience following the triumphant landing, ISRO chairman S. Somanath expressed, "Chandrayaan-3 stands as a testament to the collaborative efforts of thousands of scientists, engineers, staff, and industries across ISRO and other institutions."

In an interesting turn of events, Russia's recent launch of the Luna-25 mission aimed to claim this achievement before Chandrayaan-3. However, the Russian spacecraft met with failure, crashing into the moon after losing communication with Roscosmos, the Russian space agency.

Chandrayaan-3, propelled by the "Launch Vehicle Mark-III," was launched by India's premier space agency, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), on July 14. The launch took place at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, situated on Sriharikota Island in South India.

Representing the third installment in India's Chandrayaan mission ("moon vehicle" in Sanskrit), Chandrayaan-3 aims to exhibit secure landing and rover operations on the lunar surface, accompanied by on-site scientific experiments. The spacecraft, developed within a budget of under $75 million, consists of a propulsion module, a lander, and a rover equipped with seven scientific instruments.

To surmount challenges encountered by its predecessor, the Chandrayaan-3 lander incorporates improved sensors, software, and propulsion systems. Rigorous simulations and supplementary testing were undertaken by ISRO to enhance the lander's robustness and ensure a successful landing.

The lander's scientific investigations encompass seismic vibrations, near-surface plasma phenomena, lunar temperature variations, thermal conductivity measurements, elemental composition analyses, and spectral characteristics of the moon.

As the United States readies itself for the Artemis III crew mission to the lunar south pole, scheduled for 2025, the insights gleaned from India's Chandrayaan-3 mission will be instrumental in comprehending the lunar surface before human exploration commences.

Distinguishing itself from the lander, the rover utilized in Chandrayaan-3 remains identical to its Chandrayaan-2 counterpart. Both the lander and rover will operate for a lunar day, equivalent to 14 Earth days.

The realization of Chandrayaan-3 arrived over 14 years after India's inaugural moon landing mission in 2008, which revealed evidence of water molecules in the moon's atmosphere.

Despite the unfortunate crash landing of the Chandrayaan-2 lander-rover module, the orbiter remains functional in lunar orbit, continuing its scientific investigation. Notably, the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter played a pivotal role in identifying the landing site for Chandrayaan-3's lander and will continue to facilitate communication between the lander and Earth.

Somanath reiterated, "This achievement is not the work of an isolated effort. It represents the culmination of the efforts of successive generations of ISRO leadership and scientists. It's a journey that commenced with Chandrayaan-1, progressed with Chandrayaan-2, and the ongoing contribution of Chandrayaan-2's orbiter. All the teams involved deserve our gratitude and recognition as we celebrate Chandrayaan-3."

In recent years, India has manifested a substantial interest in space exploration. Bolstered by a multitude of space tech startups, the nation has made significant strides in crafting solutions like launch vehicles, satellites, and hyperspectral earth imaging. With the introduction of a new space policy in New Delhi, collaboration between private entities and government entities is poised to further invigorate India's presence in space exploration.

Indian Prime Minister Hails Chandrayaan-3 Success as a Global Triumph

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the significance of India's triumphant lunar mission, asserting that its accomplishment resonates with the global community. He stated, "India’s successful moon mission is not just India’s alone. Our approach of one Earth, one family, one future is resonating across the globe." The human-centric philosophy that India presents has garnered widespread acceptance, and this approach underpins the nation's moon mission success. Modi highlighted that this achievement is a collective victory for all of humanity, fostering prospects for forthcoming lunar missions by nations worldwide. He expressed confidence in the potential of countries worldwide, including those from the global south, to achieve similar feats and venture into space exploration.

ISRO's Expansive Mission Portfolio Beyond Chandrayaan-3

In addition to the groundbreaking success of Chandrayaan-3, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has an array of missions on its horizon. Among these initiatives are the much-anticipated Gaganyaan human space flight mission and the Aditya L1 solar observatory project, aimed at probing the sun's mysteries.

The Impetus for an Evolving Lunar Economy

General Lt. Gen. AK Bhatt, director of the Indian Space Association, commended ISRO's accomplishment, highlighting India's resolute commitment to space exploration and prowess in the domain. Bhatt emphasized that these lunar landings will catalyze the development of a thriving lunar economy, propelling endeavors into celestial exploration, including missions to Mars and beyond. He underscored that a key stride toward advancing space exploration and commercialization involves the integration of private sector entities and burgeoning space technology startups. This collaborative approach, he believes, will position India as a leader in the global space economy.

Collaboration and Beyond: India's Ambitious Space Ventures

In June, India solidified its commitment to space exploration by joining NASA's Artemis Accords, fostering collaboration with other participating nations. The partnership entails advanced training for Indian astronauts at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, with plans for their deployment to the International Space Station in the coming year. Further exemplifying international cooperation, ISRO and NASA are collaborating closely on the launch of a low-Earth observatory (LEO) in 2024. This observatory will systematically map the entire planet within a span of 12 days, furnishing consistent data essential for monitoring alterations in Earth's ecosystems, ice mass, vegetation biomass, sea levels, and occurrences of natural disasters and hazards.