What is Chandrayaan 3?
Chandrayaan-3 is India’s third mission to the moon, following the successful Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2 missions. The mission is a joint effort of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and is designed to further explore the moon's surface and geology. The mission aims to enhance India's space exploration efforts and establish the country as a major player in the global space race.
Chandrayaan 3 (Credit-blog.jatan.space)
ISRO planned this spacecraft to exhibit India’s soft landing proficiency on a stellar body. Chandrayaan 3 will only consist of Lander, Rover and it will communicate to Earth via an orbiter of Chandrayaan 2. The propulsion module will carry the lander and rover configuration till the 100 km lunar orbit. The propulsion module has a Spectro-polarimetry of Habitable Planet Earth (SHAPE) payload to study the spectral and Polari metric measurements of Earth from the lunar orbit.
The Orbital will study Moon’s surface and map the surface of the Moon. While lander will carry over to Moon’s surface safely after this rover will collect soil samples, and analyze them for signs of water and other resources.
Background of Chandrayaan 3 Mission
India's Chandrayaan missions are a series of lunar exploration missions launched by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). The first mission, Chandrayaan-1, was launched on October 22, 2008, and it successfully completed its mission objectives, including mapping the lunar surface and confirming the presence of water on the moon.
- Chandrayaan-1- It was launched on a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and carried eleven scientific instruments, including a high-resolution camera, a radar that could penetrate the lunar surface, and a spectrometer that could analyze the composition of the moon's surface.
- Chandrayaan-2- It was launched on July 22, 2019, and consisted of an orbiter, a lander, and a rover. The mission was launched on a GSLV Mk III rocket and aimed to explore the moon's south pole region, which had not been explored before. However, the lander, named Vikram, failed to make a soft landing on the lunar surface, and communication with it was lost.
The previous Chandrayaan missions have helped India establish itself as a significant player in the global space race and have paved the way for further exploration and research in space.
Features of Chnadrayaan 3
Chandrayaan 3
- Chandrayaan 3 will take flight in outer space with a lander and rover only it will not require any orbital to communicate like Chandrayaan 2
- With the help of Chandrayaan 3 India will aim to study the surface of the moon, especially the areas which are not gotten sunlight for billions of years. In these types of areas and craters where Scientists and Astronomers think that they can find ice and abundant minerals.
- The Chandrayaan-3 mission will carry a suite of scientific instruments to study the lunar surface. These instruments may include cameras, spectrometers, and other sensors to measure the composition and properties of the Moon's surface.
- The Chandrayaan-3 mission is expected to be more cost-effective than the Chandrayaan-2 mission, which faced technical difficulties and had to be abandoned. ISRO is likely to adopt a frugal engineering approach, using indigenous technologies to keep costs low.
When Chandrayaan 3 will Launch?
India's space agency, ISRO, has almost completed the preparation for the Chandrayaan-3 mission to the moon. The satellite has been put together and tested for toughness. The launch must happen during a specific time period, and the best time will be between June and July 2023. India's heaviest rocket, the LVM3, will be used for the mission.
Chandrayaan 3 Launch(Credit-economictimes.indiatimes.com)
Budget of Chandrayaan 3
According to ISRO the initial funding of Chandrayaan 3 is Rs.75 crore (US$9.4 million). Out of which Rs.60 crore(US$7.5 million) will be used for machinery, equipment, and other capital expenditure, and Rs.15(US$1.9 million) crore will be used for sought-under revenue expenditure head.
Confirming the existence of the project, ISRO's former chairman K. Sivan stated that the cost would be around ₹615 crores (US$77 million)Chandrayaan-3 is a significant mission for India's space exploration efforts. It will allow India to showcase its soft landing proficiency and further explore the moon's surface and geology. With its frugal engineering approach and cost-effective measures, ISRO is looking to establish India as a major player in the global space race. With its launch scheduled for 2023, the Chandrayaan-3 mission is set to make significant contributions to our understanding of the moon and our place in the universe.
Thank You
by -Hritik Raj