Chandrayaan-3: India's Historic Mission to the Moon's South Pole

Chandrayaan-3: India's Historic Mission to the Moon's South Pole

Introduction:

India made history on August 23, 2023, when its Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft successfully landed on the Moon's south pole. This was India's second attempt to land on the Moon, after the Chandrayaan-2 mission in 2019 ended in failure.

The Chandrayaan-3 mission is a major milestone for India's space program and a testament to the country's growing technological prowess.

History of Chandrayaan-3:

The Chandrayaan-3 mission was first proposed in 2016, shortly after the failure of the Chandrayaan-2 mission. The mission was designed to be a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2, and it was intended to achieve the same goals of the earlier mission, but with a few key modifications.

One of the key modifications to the Chandrayaan-3 mission was the landing site. The Chandrayaan-2 mission was supposed to land on the Moon's near side, but it crashed during the landing sequence.

The Chandrayaan-3 mission was instead designed to land on the Moon's south pole, which is a region that has not been explored by any other country.

Another key modification to the Chandrayaan-3 mission was the lander. The Chandrayaan-2 lander was called Vikram, and it was designed to be a soft-landing lander.

However, Vikram crashed during the landing sequence, due to a technical failure. The Chandrayaan-3 lander is called Pragyaan, and it is designed to be a more robust lander that is less likely to crash.

Vision of Chandrayaan-3:

The vision of the Chandrayaan-3 mission is to explore the Moon's south pole and to gather data on the Moon's geology, mineralogy, and history. The mission is also expected to provide new insights into the formation and evolution of the Moon.

The Chandrayaan-3 mission is expected to achieve the following goals:

• Land on the Moon's south pole

• Deploy a rover to explore the lunar surface

• Conduct experiments to study the Moon's geology, mineralogy, and history

• Provide new insights into the formation and evolution of the Moon

Technical Specifications of Chandrayaan-3:

The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft consists of a lander, a rover, and an orbiter. The lander is called Pragyaan, and it is designed to soft-land on the Moon's surface.

The rover is called Pragyan, and it is designed to explore the lunar surface. The orbiter is designed to orbit the Moon and to provide support for the lander and rover.

The lander is about 2 meters tall and 1.5 meters wide. It has four legs that will help it to land safely on the Moon's surface. The lander also has a robotic arm that will be used to deploy the rover.

The rover is about 1 meter long and 0.5 meters wide. It has six wheels that will allow it to move around the lunar surface. The rover is also equipped with a variety of instruments that will be used to study the Moon's geology, mineralogy, and history.

The orbiter is about 2 meters tall and 1.5 meters wide. It has a variety of instruments that will be used to study the Moon's surface, atmosphere, and gravity field.

Conclusion:

The Chandrayaan-3 mission is a major milestone for India's space program and a testament to the country's growing technological prowess. The mission is expected to achieve significant scientific breakthroughs and to provide new insights into the Moon's formation and evolution.