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| Image from ISRO |
The Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Chandrayaan-3 mission has reached the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, signaling its readiness for launch scheduled in July. Following the setback of the Chandrayaan-2 mission, the Chandrayaan-3 mission serves as a crucial follow-up to achieve India's ambitious lunar exploration goals.
Chandrayaan-3 is composed of a lander and a rover, and it will be launched using ISRO's powerful Launch Vehicle Mark-III (LVM3) system. The propulsion module of the launch system will carry the lander and rover configuration until it reaches a lunar orbit of 100 kilometers. Notably, the propulsion module will also carry the SHAPE (Spectro-polarimetry of Habitable Planet Earth) instrument, designed to study the spectral and polarimetric measurements of Earth from the lunar orbit.
M. Sankaran, the director of the U.R. Rao Satellite Center, stated, "Chandrayaan-3 has already reached the launch port, preparation is going on there at Sriharikota and we do expect that sometime in July the launch can take place." The payload for the Chandrayaan-3 mission was assembled at the center in Bengaluru, showcasing the collaborative efforts of various ISRO facilities.
The primary objective of the Chandrayaan-3 mission is to successfully demonstrate a soft landing on the lunar surface. If accomplished, India will become the fourth nation to achieve this feat, following the Soviet Union, the United States, and China. In the previous Chandrayaan-2 mission, ISRO made a valiant attempt at a soft landing, but unfortunately, the Vikram lander lost contact with mission control, resulting in an incomplete mission.
Several private-led missions have also aimed for a soft landing on the Moon, but they faced their own challenges. The Israeli spacecraft Beresheet crashed just moments before its scheduled touchdown in April 2019, while the Hakuto lander built by Japanese space technology firm Ispace failed to achieve a soft landing on April 25, 2023, after a four-month-long journey covering a distance of 1.6 million kilometers.
ISRO has taken comprehensive measures to learn from the experience of Chandrayaan-2 and implement additional precautions in the Chandrayaan-3 mission. The team at ISRO is both optimistic and cautious as they prepare for this crucial endeavor, as stated by Sankaran in an interview with News18.
The upcoming launch of Chandrayaan-3 highlights India's determination to explore and expand its presence in space exploration. The mission not only represents a significant technological achievement but also signifies India's continued commitment to scientific advancements and its place among the leading nations in space exploration. As the world eagerly awaits the launch, hopes are high for the success of Chandrayaan-3 and India's pursuit of new discoveries on the lunar surface.
In related news, it is worth mentioning that the Chandrayaan-2 mission was launched on July 22, 2019. Although it faced challenges during the soft landing phase, it still played a crucial role in advancing our understanding of the Moon's south polar region.
The launch site for the Chandrayaan-3 mission is the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, located at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, India. This spaceport has been the main launch site for ISRO's satellite and interplanetary missions.
For candidates preparing for the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) exams or seeking information on the Chandrayaan
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)'s Chandrayan-3 will be launched in July this year, ISRO's Chief S. Somanath informed.
Isro expects to launch the mission on July 12, 2023, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. India's heaviest rocket LVM3 (earlier known as Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark 3) will put the spacecraft into orbit around the Earth.
Chandrayaan-3 mission carries scientific instruments to study the thermo-physical properties of the lunar regolith, lunar seismicity, lunar surface plasma environment, and elemental composition in the vicinity of the landing site. 'Chandrayan-3 will be launched in July, I am confident': ISRO Chairman Somanath.
The much-awaited Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft has landed in Sriharikota and will soon be integrated with India's most powerful rocket, GSLV-MKIII or LVM-3, for the country's third mission to the Moon in July.