Live Updates on Chandrayaan-3 Moon Landing: Embarking on a 40-day expedition that commenced at the Sathish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is now poised for a significant moment as the Chandrayaan-3 mission readies itself for lunar touchdown. If all proceeds as planned, the Vikram lander is anticipated to achieve a gentle lunar landing by 6.04 PM IST on August 23. For those interested, a live broadcast of the landing can be viewed below, commencing at 5.27 PM IST.
The Chandrayaan-3 mission marks a continuation of the 2019 Chandrayaan-2 venture, which saw the Vikram lander encountering a crash upon the lunar surface. The central objective of this mission is straightforward—to demonstrate ISRO's proficiency in executing a soft lunar landing.
Should the mission triumph, India will gain entry into a small and exclusive circle of nations that have accomplished gentle landings on the Moon. Presently, the consortium consists of three members—the United States, the former Soviet Union, and China. Russia, for its part, made its latest lunar landing endeavor with the Luna-25 mission, in 1976 during its time as the Soviet Union. Regrettably, Luna-25 faced a parallel outcome to Chandrayaan-2, with the Russian Space Agency revealing the craft's collision with the lunar surface. Notably, both Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3 share the aspiration of targeting the Moon's south pole. Thus, Chandrayaan-3 stands as another contender to achieve the distinction of being the pioneer in landing at this lunar region.
Significant Enhancements in Chandrayaan-3
ISRO's head, S. Somanath, noted that the enhancements incorporated into this mission were guided by the lessons from previous failures, underscoring a "learning from mistakes" approach. The following are among the key improvements:
Reinforced Landing Gear: The new Vikram lander is equipped with sturdier legs, ensuring its capacity to land safely at speeds of up to 10.8 kilometers per hour. Nonetheless, this enhancement might prove irrelevant in a scenario akin to Chandrayaan-2, where the lander impacted the surface at approximately 580 kilometers per hour.
Expanded Fuel Reservoir: Chandrayaan-3 carries a greater quantity of fuel compared to its predecessor, enabling last-minute adjustments if deemed necessary.
Enhanced Solar Panels: The revamped Vikram lander features solar panels on all four sides, in contrast to the two panels on its forerunner.
Augmented Instruments and Upgraded Software: Of paramount importance, Chandrayaan-3 integrates additional instruments and refined software to facilitate the soft landing endeavor. A notable inclusion is the Laser Doppler Velocimeter, designed to project laser beams onto the lunar surface for velocity calculations. The updated software boasts multiple redundancies, enhancing its adaptability to diverse scenarios.
The Four Phases of Landing
The closing moments of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, often referred to as the "15 minutes of terror," encompass four distinct phases:
Rough Braking Phase: Characterized by a reduction in horizontal velocity from approximately 6,000 kilometers per hour to near zero, paving the way for a gentle landing.
Attitude Holding Phase: At an altitude of roughly 7.43 kilometers above the lunar surface, the lander will transition from a horizontal to a vertical orientation, covering a distance of 3.48 kilometers.
Fine Breaking Phase: Extending for about 175 seconds, during which the lander will traverse approximately 28.52 kilometers horizontally towards the landing site while decreasing altitude by around 1 kilometer. It's noteworthy that Chandrayaan-2 encountered challenges during the transition from the Attitude Holding to Fine Breaking phases.
Terminal Descent: The ultimate stage wherein the fully upright lander is expected to descend onto the Moon's surface.
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