The clock is ticking for India’s second endeavor to achieve a soft landing on the Moon.
In this image captured at the launchpad in Sriharikota, the integrated LVM-3 rocket and Chandrayaan spacecraft are prominently displayed. (ISRO/Twitter).
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is in the final countdown for the highly anticipated launch of the Chandrayaan-3 mission. The scheduled liftoff is set to take place today at 2:35 PM from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota.
If successful, this mission will place India among an exclusive group of only three other countries—United States, former Soviet Union, and China—who have achieved a soft landing on the Moon. It is worth noting that both the United States and the Soviet Union encountered multiple spacecraft failures before achieving successful landings. China stands as the most recent addition to this list, having accomplished a successful soft landing with the Chang’e-3 mission in 2013.
Chandrayaan-3 serves as a successor to the Chandrayaan-2 mission, which unfortunately faced setbacks in its final stages. This upcoming mission marks India’s second endeavor to achieve a soft landing on the Moon, a momentous attempt that has captured global attention. As soon as the live stream from ISRO commences, this page will be updated with a direct link.
What makes landing on the Moon so challenging?
Chandrayaan-3 follows the Chandrayaan-2 mission, which ended in disappointment when the Vikram lander crashed on the lunar surface in 2019. Similarly, in that same year, the Israeli-built spacecraft Beresheet also failed to achieve its landing objective. This year, the Japanese-led mission Hakuto-R also experienced a crash landing. So, why is it so difficult to achieve a soft landing on the Moon?
Firstly, simply reaching the Moon is an arduous task in itself. It is situated over 384,400 kilometers away from Earth, making the journey significantly more demanding compared to reaching low-Earth orbit.
Firstly, simply reaching the Moon is an arduous task in itself. It is situated over 384,400 kilometers away from Earth, making the journey significantly more demanding compared to reaching low-Earth orbit.
Additionally, the Moon possesses an incredibly thin atmosphere, rendering atmospheric drag ineffective in decelerating spacecraft for landing. As a result, they must rely solely on their propulsion systems during descent, requiring more fuel and advanced landing computation systems.
The final kilometers of the lunar approach are critical. Flight computers must perform rapid calculations and execute precise maneuvers to ensure a successful landing. Moreover, the absence of GPS on the Moon adds further complexity, making it challenging to accurately land within pre-selected safe zones.
What is the estimated cost of Chandrayaan-3?
During discussions with reporters in 2020, K Sivan, the former chairman of ISRO, stated that the Chandrayaan-3 mission would incur a cost exceeding Rs 615 crore. Sivan further explained that the lander, rover, and propulsion module would amount to Rs 250 crore, while launch services would contribute Rs 365 crore.
However, it is important to note that this cost estimation was provided prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and before the mission faced significant delays, pushing its launch from the originally planned 2021 to a later date in 2023. As a result, there is a possibility that the mission’s budget has increased substantially.
China’s National Space Administration, equivalent to ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation), has obtained authorization to launch three unmanned lunar missions within the next ten years, as reported by Bloomberg. This development follows the discovery of a new lunar mineral called “Changesite-(Y)” in samples collected by China’s Chang’e-5 mission. It is speculated that this mineral contains helium-3, an isotope that holds potential as a future energy source.
Moon Water: Potential Rocket Fuel
Recent discoveries of water on the Moon have opened up the possibility of using it to generate hydrogen, a commonly used rocket fuel, as highlighted by Amitabh Sinha from The Indian Express. Each water molecule consists of two hydrogen molecules and one oxygen molecule. By splitting these molecules through processes like solar-powered electrolysis, it could potentially produce hydrogen suitable for rocket launches.
The question arises: Why launch from the Moon? Due to its significantly weaker gravitational forces compared to Earth, launching a rocket into space would be much more feasible from the Moon’s surface. This could establish Earth’s natural satellite as a crucial stepping point for missions to destinations such as Mars and beyond. To delve deeper into this topic, be sure to tune in to the upcoming Our Own Devices podcast, where Sinha engages in a conversation with Nandagopal Rajan about the mission.
Why is there renewed interest in returning to the Moon?
In a significant milestone, humanity accomplished the feat of landing astronauts on the Moon more than half a century ago with the Apollo 11 mission. Since then, numerous crewed and uncrewed missions, predominantly led by the United States through the Apollo program, have ventured to Earth’s natural satellite. With this in mind, one might wonder why there is a sudden resurgence of efforts to revisit a place we have already explored.
One of the primary drivers behind this renewed interest is scientific curiosity. Researchers aim to uncover more about the Moon, such as the presence of water and its significance in the solar system. By studying the lunar surface, scientists hope to gain insights into the solar system’s history and unravel its mysteries. Moreover, the Moon holds potential as a vital stepping stone for further exploration of the solar system, including destinations like Mars and beyond. To achieve this, understanding how to effectively harness lunar resources and establish a base there becomes crucial.
These motivations are just some of the factors contributing to what can be seen as a rekindling of the space race. NASA’s Artemis program stands as a testament to this renewed drive for lunar exploration.
