In a matter of hours, India’s Chandrayaan-3 is set to embark on a significant lunar endeavor – an attempt to achieve a successful landing on the moon’s southern pole. This audacious mission, should it succeed, will elevate India’s status as the fourth nation in history to accomplish a gentle landing on the lunar surface, a feat previously achieved by the United States, China, and the erstwhile Soviet Union.
The climax of the mission, as experts emphasize, hinges on the final 15 to 20 minutes of the landing sequence. During this pivotal window, Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander, accompanied by the rover Pragyan, will execute a delicate touchdown – the defining moment of success.
In anticipation of this historic lunar touchdown, celebrations and fervent prayers are resonating throughout the nation, underscoring the significance of this event.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set to broadcast the landing live on its official website, while the state-run broadcaster DD National TV is scheduled to commence the live telecast at 5:27 PM.
A Soft Landing Unveiled: Challenges and Nuances
- Defining a Soft Landing:
A soft landing entails the controlled descent and subsequent safe touchdown of a spacecraft onto the lunar surface, without incurring substantial damage to the vehicle itself or its scientific instruments.
- Navigating Challenges:
Chandrayaan-3 faces a myriad of challenges in its endeavor. The process demands the spacecraft to effectively counter blazing velocities and execute a meticulous controlled descent.
Initiating its journey, the Vikram lander hurtles toward the moon’s surface at an astonishing velocity of 1.68 kilometers per second. Subsequently, it must decelerate, though it remains nearly horizontal to the moon’s surface. This phase, known as the rough braking phase, spans approximately 11 minutes.
Transitioning to the next stage, the lander reorients itself to become vertical relative to the moon’s surface, marking the onset of the ‘fine braking phase’. The utmost precision is crucial, as even a minor miscalculation during the descent can lead to catastrophic consequences, resulting in a crash or damage to the spacecraft.
The Multi-Faceted Objectives of Chandrayaan-3:
- Central Objectives:
At the heart of the Chandrayaan-3 mission lies the dual aim of executing a secure and gentle landing on the lunar terrain, while also facilitating a range of scientific experiments to explore the moon’s environment. This encompasses an examination of its geological history, composition, and potential for hosting valuable resources.
Design Innovations:
- Innovative Approach:
Diverging from the success-centric design of Chandrayaan-2, ISRO has adopted a failure-based approach for Chandrayaan-3. This approach is grounded in addressing potential failure points and devising strategies to safeguard against them, ultimately culminating in a successful landing.
- Instrumental Configurations:
While the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter carried an array of nine instruments, the forthcoming orbiter in Chandrayaan-3 will feature a singular in-situ instrument – Spectro-polarimetry of habitable planet Earth.
- Technological Advancements:
Notable advancements are also evident in the Vikram Lander’s architecture. Compared to its predecessor in Chandrayaan-2, the Chandrayaan-3 lander boasts two onboard computers, enhancing redundancy and operational reliability.
In the impending hours, as Chandrayaan-3 embarks on its ambitious journey, India stands poised to etch its name alongside the select few nations that have achieved the awe-inspiring feat of lunar landing. The culmination of meticulous planning, scientific prowess, and technological innovation, this mission underscores India’s ascent as a key player in the realm of space exploration.
