Chandrayaan-3 Launch Date: The Chandrayaan-3, set to launch from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, will make India the fourth country to land a spacecraft on the lunar surface.
New Delhi: The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is preparing for the launch of Chandrayaan-3 on Friday. The spacecraft is packed with more fuel, multiple fail-safe measures, and a larger landing site compared to its predecessor, Chandrayaan-2. This time, ISRO is committed to successfully landing on the moon. Chandrayaan-3, launching from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, will make India the fourth country to land a spacecraft on the lunar surface, following the United States, Russia, and China.
According to ISRO, Chandrayaan-3 will reach lunar orbit nearly a month after launching on Friday. The lander Vikram and the rover Pragyan are expected to land on the moon on August 23.
Objective
The spacecraft will be launched from the SDSC SHAR in Sriharikota using the LVM3 rocket. According to ISRO, the propulsion module will carry the lander and rover configuration to a lunar orbit of 100 km, where the lander will separate and attempt a soft landing.
The propulsion module will also carry a spectro-polarimetry of a SHAPE (Sustainable Habitat for the Anthropocene Planet Earth) payload, which will study the spectral and polarimetric measurements of Earth from lunar orbit.
Purpose
Chandrayaan-3, a follow-up mission to Chandrayaan-2, aims to demonstrate India’s capability to safely land a spacecraft and roam a rover on the lunar surface. The rover will collect data on lunar structure and geology.
In addition, it will conduct scientific experiments to study the moon’s environment, including its history, geology, and potential resources.
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, took a big hit when the Vikram lander crashed during the landing phase.
According to ISRO, Chandrayaan-3 is designed with more fuel, which will enable it to travel further, handle dispersal, or, if necessary, go to an alternative landing site.
“We have seen many failures – sensor failure, engine failure, algorithm failure, computation failure. So, whatever the failure, we want it to land at the necessary speed and rate. Therefore, calculation and programming have been done for different failure scenarios,” said ISRO Chief S Somanath, referring to news agency PTI.
The ISRO chief said that the Vikram lander has been modified to ensure it lands in any condition and generates power. The lander’s ability to withstand high speed has been tested, and additional solar panels have been installed on other surfaces.
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