ISRO Chandrayaan-3 moon mission
India’s third lunar spacecraft integrated with launch vehicle.At the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, on July 5, the Indian Space Research Organisation successfully mated the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft with the launch vehicle, LVM3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-III).
Somnath, the head of ISRO, stated that Chandrayaan-3 is scheduled for a soft landing on the moon, with the launch window set from July 13 to July 19. Chandrayaan-3 is a successor mission to Chandrayaan-2, and its primary objective is to demonstrate the complete capability of safely landing on and roving the lunar surface. Furthermore, during a press conference in October of the previous year, the ISRO chief announced that the Chandrayaan-3 mission was fully prepared and likely to be launched in June 2023.
On July 5, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) accomplished the successful integration of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft with the launch vehicle, LVM3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-III), at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. ISRO announced this achievement in a tweet stating, “Today, at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, the LVM3-M4/Chandrayaan-3 Mission saw the mating of Chandrayaan-3 with the launch vehicle LVM3.”
Chandrayaan-3 is scheduled to launch sometime between July 13 and July 19. The total cost of building the spacecraft is approximately 615 crore rupees. This mission marks India’s third lunar mission and aims to achieve a successful landing of the lander on the moon’s surface. Chandrayaan-3 is a continuation of the Chandrayaan-2 mission, which was launched on July 22, 2019. Unfortunately, Chandrayaan-2 experienced a setback when its lander and rover crashed on the moon’s surface in the early hours of September 6.
Chandrayaan-3 is integrated with LVM3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-III) because spacecraft cannot travel to space independently. It takes a significant amount of energy to lift a spacecraft into space, requiring powerful propulsion. Therefore, rockets or launching vehicles like LVM3 are necessary to carry these satellites by surpassing the gravitational force of the Earth.
The Chandrayaan-3 mission aims to conduct studies on various aspects such as thermophysical properties, lunar seismicity, lunar surface plasma environment, and element composition. To accomplish this, the mission includes scientific instruments like a rover and a lander that will be deployed on the moon’s surface.
In preparation for its launch, Chandrayaan-3 has undergone numerous tests to ensure its ability to withstand harsh conditions and acoustic vibrations. The lander of the mission has undergone modifications, including a reduction from five motors to four, along with various other adjustments.
A significant addition to Chandrayaan-3 is the Spectro-polarimetry Habitable Planet Earth (SHAPE) payload. This payload allows for the study of spectral and polarimetric measurements of Earth from the lunar orbit.
For the Chandrayaan-3 mission, ISRO has three primary objectives. Firstly, it aims to achieve a successful landing of the lander on the moon’s surface. Secondly, it seeks to validate the rover’s capability to navigate and explore the lunar terrain. Lastly, it aims to conduct scientific studies of the moon’s surface.
During a press conference, Somnath stated that Chandrayaan-3 is in its final stages of integration and testing, with only a few remaining tests pending. As a result, the decision was made to delay the launch and opt for the available slot in June 2023.
It is worth noting that India’s second mission to the moon, Chandrayaan-2, was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota on July 22, 2019. Unfortunately, the mission encountered a setback in the early hours of September 6, 2019, when the Vikram lunar lander crashed on the moon, leading to a loss of communication between the lander and the ground stations.