Chandrayaan 3 will aim for the Moon but look beyond it Premium

ISRO is planning Chandrayaan 3 to demonstrate end-to-end capability for safe landing and roving on the lunar surface. The launch is scheduled for July 14, 2023, at 2.35 pm. The mission will be launched on board the Launch Vehicle Mark III. Two physicists from Krea University explain why this mission is so important for India.

Who doesn’t enjoy the sight of the Moon? Whether its phase is gibbous, crescent, or complete, the Moon mesmerises children, poets, and anyone who identifies with nature for its serene beauty, its sense of calm, and the sensations it kindles.

Scientists are interested in the Moon to understand its origin and characteristics, and, if possible, to explore the possibility of inhabiting it – and these studies require going to the Moon. Not many countries have undertaken such studies, but India is well-positioned with its industrial and technological support base and trained human resources to venture into studying the Moon at close quarters. This feat is yet another feather in the cap of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). No wonder it attracts talented youth from the best institutions in the country.

ISRO’s first attempt was the Chandrayaan 1 (i.e. “Lunar Vehicle 1”) mission, which began in October 2008 with a launch of the very successful Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). The rocket carried a lunar orbiter meant to go around the Moon, like a satellite, and an impact probe. The orbiter relieved the impact probe to hit the surface of the south polar region of the Moon, to generate data relevant to designing a lunar rover that would be a part of the payload in a subsequent mission.

While descending to the Moon, the impactor probe collected information on the chemical composition of the lunar atmosphere. Notably, this mission established the availability of water molecules on the Moon, a discovery that may be crucial for future crewed missions. The probe also carved the national flag of India on the Moon, announcing our arrival.

The mission did not last two years as planned, possibly due to overheating issues in the orbiter, but it achieved most of its scientific objectives. In a testament to its success, it received many accolades from the international community.

The next such mission was Chandrayaan 2 in July 2019, which was launched by a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV). Its payload included a Moon lander that carried a rover to release on the Moon. The lander, unfortunately, crashed on the lunar surface due to a software glitch, and the rover did not detach from the lander, so further studies of the Moon’s surface were impossible.

A Chennai-based amateur space enthusiast named Shanmuga Subramanian, skilled in image analysis, identified the location of the lander’s debris, and NASA later confirmed it. Participation by citizens in big science projects is a welcome trend and researchers should strive to create such opportunities.