Chandrayaan-3: India’s Historic Moon Landing

India has achieved a remarkable feat in space exploration by successfully landing its third lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3, on the moon’s south pole on August 23, 2023. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced the soft landing of the lander module, named Vikram, and the deployment of the rover module, named Pragyan, through its official Twitter handle.

Chandrayaan-3 is set to land on the Moon on August 23, 2023, around 18:04 Hrs. IST1

The lander and the rover will conduct various experiments and observations on the lunar surface for 14 Earth days, equivalent to one lunar day. The mission aims to study the topography, mineralogy, exosphere and signatures of water-ice on the moon.

Chandrayaan-3 was launched on July 14, 2023, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, using a GSLV Mk III rocket. The spacecraft entered the lunar orbit on August 5, 2023, after performing several orbital manoeuvres. The lander separated from the orbiter on August 20, 2023, and initiated its descent towards the moon.

The landing site of Chandrayaan-3 is near the south pole of the moon, which is a region of scientific interest and potential resources. The south pole is also a challenging terrain for landing, as it has many craters and shadows. ISRO had attempted a similar landing with its previous mission, Chandrayaan-2, in 2019, but lost contact with the lander during the final phase of descent.

However, ISRO did not give up on its lunar ambitions and learned from its past experience. Chandrayaan-3 is an improved version of Chandrayaan-2, with enhanced software and hardware. The mission also carries a unique scientific payload called SHAPE (Spectral Analysis of Earth’s Spectrum), which will measure the spectrum of Earth’s reflected sunlight from the moon. This will help in understanding the composition and evolution of Earth’s atmosphere.

Chandrayaan-3 is a proud achievement for India and a testament to its scientific prowess and perseverance. The mission has received congratulatory messages from various leaders and celebrities across the world. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the mission as a “glorious moment” for India and praised ISRO for its “exemplary courage and commitment”.

Congratulations to @isro and all Indians on the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon. This is a glorious moment for our nation and a tribute to our scientists’ exemplary courage and commitment. India is proud of you! 2

Chandrayaan-3 is also a milestone for global cooperation in space exploration, as it carries payloads from other countries such as Japan, France and Sweden. The mission will contribute to the scientific knowledge and understanding of the moon and its environment.

Chandrayaan-3 is not only a mission to the moon, but also a mission to inspire millions of young minds in India and around the world to pursue their dreams and aspirations in science and technology.

You can watch the live coverage of Chandrayaan-3’s landing and rover operations on ISRO’s website 3 or YouTube channel . You can also follow ISRO’s social media handles for updates and images from the mission.

For more details follow Abhinav Gupta on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/its_abhiji/