Sriharikota, (AP), Jul 12 (PTI) – Four years after it broke many hearts, ISRO’s Chandrayaan is all set to soar towards the moon in its third expedition on Friday in an attempt to put the country in an elite club of nations that accomplished lunar missions with a soft landing.
‘Fat Boy’ Rocket to Carry Chandrayaan-3
The ‘Fat Boy’ LVM3-M4 rocket will carry Chandrayaan-3 as part of India’s ambitious moon mission. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is gearing up for the highly anticipated launch from Sriharikota spaceport on July 14. The soft landing on the moon’s surface is planned for late August.
Aim to Master Soft-Landing Technology
Chandrayaan-2 failed to achieve the desired soft landing on the moon’s surface in 2019, leaving the ISRO team dejected. Now, scientists at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre aim to master the technology of soft landing on the surface of the moon. If successful, India would become the fourth country to achieve this feat, following the United States, China, and the former Soviet Union.
Chandrayaan-3 Mission Objectives
Chandrayaan-3, the third lunar exploration mission, aims to develop and demonstrate new technologies required for inter-planetary missions. It consists of an indigenous propulsion module, lander module, and a rover. The mission is expected to be supportive of future interplanetary missions.
The ‘Fat Boy’ Rocket and its Success
The LVM3 rocket, also known as the ‘Fat Boy,’ is the largest and heaviest rocket used by ISRO. It has completed six consecutive successful missions and has proven its versatility in undertaking complex missions, including interplanetary missions. The LVM3 rocket is a composite of three modules: propulsion, lander, and rover.
The Launch Window and Mission Details
The launch window for Chandrayaan-3 has been fixed in July, similar to the Chandrayaan-2 mission, to take advantage of the closer proximity between the Earth and the Moon during this time of the year. After lift-off on July 14, the propulsion module is expected to separate from the rocket and orbit the Earth for several cycles before moving towards the lunar orbit. The soft landing on the lunar surface is planned for August 23 or 24.
Payloads and Scientific Experiments
Chandrayaan-3 carries several payloads and scientific experiments. The Propulsion Module has an experimental payload called SHAPE (Spectro-polarimetry of HAbitable Planet Earth), which aims to study the Earth from the lunar orbit. The Lander Module carries payloads such as RAMBHA-LP, ChaSTE, and ILSA, which will measure plasma ions and electrons density, study the thermal properties of the lunar surface, and measure seismic activity and lunar crust structure, respectively. The Rover, with a mission life of 1 lunar day, will utilize payloads like APXS and LIBS to determine the chemical and elemental composition of the lunar soil and rocks.
Sources: PTI, ISRO“`
