19/07/2023
Hello, readers of Books N Blogs! This is Vishal Upadhyay, Today, I am going to write about one of the most exciting and inspiring events in the history of Indian space exploration: the Chandrayaan-3 mission. π
Chandrayaan-3 is the third lunar exploration mission by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It consists of a Lander and the Pragyan rover similar to Chandrayaan-2, but does not have an orbiter. Its propulsion module behaves like a communication relay satellite.
The launch of Chandrayaan-3 took place on 14 July 2023, at 2:35 pm IST from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, India. It was carried by the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM 3) rocket, which is also known as the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III or GSLV Mk lll.
The mission has three main objectives:
- To demonstrate soft landing on the Moon and operate a rover on the lunar surface.
- To study the lunar topography, mineralogy, elemental abundance, lunar exosphere and signatures of hydroxyl and water ice.
- To enhance India's technological capabilities and scientific knowledge.
The 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, at 69.367621 S, 32.348126 E.
The Lander is named Vikram, after Dr Vikram A Sarabhai, the father of the Indian space program. The rover is named Pragyan, which means 'wisdom' in Sanskrit. The Lander and rover have a mission life of one lunar day (about 14 Earth days).
The Lander carries four scientific payloads:
- Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive ionosphere and Atmosphere (RAMBHA), which will measure the density and variation of the lunar ionosphere.
- Chandraβs Surface Thermo physical Experiment (ChaSTE), which will measure the vertical temperature gradient and thermal conductivity of the lunar surface.
- Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA), which will detect and characterize moonquakes and other seismic events.
- Laser Retro reflector Array (LRA), which will serve as a passive reflector for laser ranging.
The rover carries two scientific payloads:
- Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS), which will determine the elemental composition of the lunar rocks and soil.
- Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS), which will analyze the abundance of elements near the landing site.
The propulsion module carries one scientific payload:
- Spectro-polarimetry of HAbitable Planet Earth (SHAPE), which will observe Earth's polarization characteristics as a reference for future exoplanet missions.
The Chandrayaan-3 mission is led by Dr K Sivan, the chairman of ISRO. The project director is Dr M Vanitha, who was also the project director of Chandrayaan-2. She is the first woman to lead an interplanetary mission in India. The mission director is Dr Ritu Karidhal, who was also the mission director of Chandrayaan-2. She is known as the 'Rocket Woman' of India.
Chandrayaan-3 is a testament to India's resilience and determination to explore the Moon and beyond. It is a steppingstone towards ISROβs future interplanetary missions, such as Gaganyaan, Aditya-L1 and Mangalyaan-2.
I hope you enjoyed reading this blog post. Please share it with your friends and family and spread the word about India's achievements in space science. π
Thank you for reading Books N Blogs! Stay tuned for more updates on Chandrayaan-3 and other topics related to books and blogs. π
This blog post was written by Vishal Upadhyay for Books N Blogs.