7/30/23, 3:26 PM Chandrayaan-3

Chandrayaan-3
drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/chandrayaan-3-2

For Mains: Space Technology, Chandrayaan 3 Mission and its Significance

Source: IE

Why in News?
With the launch of Chandrayaan-3, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is
embarking to achieve a successful soft landing on the moon.

India aims to become the fourth country in the world to achieve this feat, joining the
ranks of the United States, Russia, and China.

What is Chandrayaan-3 Mission?

About:
Chandrayaan-3 is India's third lunar mission and second attempt at
achieving a soft landing on the moon's surface.
The mission took off from the Satish Dhawan Space Center (SDSC) in
Sriharikota on July 14, 2023, at 2:35 pm.
It consists of an indigenous Lander module (LM), Propulsion module (PM)
and a Rover with an objective of developing and demonstrating new
technologies required for Inter planetary missions.
Mission Objectives of Chandrayaan-3:
To demonstrate Safe and Soft Landing on Lunar Surface
To demonstrate Rover roving on the moon and
To conduct in-situ scientific experiments.

https://www.printfriendly.com/p/g/M96JYv 1/6
7/30/23, 3:26 PM Chandrayaan-3

Features:
The lander (Vikram) and rover payloads( Pragyan) of Chandrayaan-3
remain the same as the Chandrayaan-2 mission.
The scientific payloads on the lander aim to study various aspects of the lunar
environment. These payloads include studying lunar quakes, thermal
properties of the lunar surface, changes in plasma near the surface, and
accurately measuring the distance between Earth and the moon. 

The propulsion module of Chandrayaan-3 features a new experiment called

Spectro-polarimetry of Habitable Planet Earth (SHAPE).
SHAPE aims to search for smaller planets with potential habitability by
analyzing reflected light.

https://www.printfriendly.com/p/g/M96JYv 2/6
7/30/23, 3:26 PM Chandrayaan-3

Changes and Improvements in Chandrayaan-3:

The landing area has been expanded, providing flexibility to land safely within
a larger designated area.
The lander has been equipped with more fuel to enable longer-distance
travel to the landing site or alternate locations.
The Chandrayaan-3 Lander has solar panels on four sides, instead of only
two in Chandrayaan-2.
High-resolution images from the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter are used to determine
the landing location, and physical modifications have been made to
enhance stability and sturdiness.
Additional navigational and guidance instruments are on board Chandrayaan-
3 to continuously monitor the Lander’s speed and make the necessary
corrections.
This includes an instrument called Laser Doppler Velocimeter, which
will fire laser beams to the lunar surface to calculate the Lander’s speed.
Launch and Timeline:
The LVM3 M4 launcher has been successfully utilized to launch
Chandrayaan-3
Around 16 minutes after the LVM-3 lifted off, the spacecraft separated
from the rocket. It entered into an elliptic parking orbit (EPO).
Chandrayaan-3's journey is estimated to take approximately 42 days, with a
landing scheduled for August 23, 2023 at the lunar dawn.
The lander and the rover will have a mission life of one lunar day (about 14
Earth days) as they work on solar energy.
The landing site for Chandrayaan-3 is near the lunar south pole.

https://www.printfriendly.com/p/g/M96JYv 3/6
7/30/23, 3:26 PM Chandrayaan-3

What is the Importance of Landing Near the Lunar South Pole?

Historically, spacecraft missions to the Moon have primarily targeted the

equatorial region due to its favorable terrain and operating conditions.
However, the lunar south pole presents a vastly different and more
challenging terrain compared to the equatorial region.
Sunlight is scarce in certain polar regions, resulting in perpetually dark areas
where temperatures can reach to -230 degrees Celsius.
This lack of sunlight and extreme cold pose difficulties for instrument
operation and sustainability.

https://www.printfriendly.com/p/g/M96JYv 4/6
7/30/23, 3:26 PM Chandrayaan-3

The lunar south pole offers extreme and contrasting conditions that pose
challenges for humans but it make them potential repositories of valuable
information about the early Solar System.
It is crucial to explore this region which could impact future deep space
exploration.

What is India’s Other Chandrayaan Missions?

Chandrayaan-1:
India's lunar exploration missions began with Chandrayaan-1 in 2008, which
aimed to create a three-dimensional atlas of the moon and conduct
mineralogical mapping. not landing
Launch Vehicle: PSLV – C11.
Chandrayaan-1 made significant discoveries, including the detection of
water and hydroxyl on the lunar surface.
Chandrayaan-2: Partial Success and Discoveries:
Chandrayaan-2 consisted of an Orbiter, Lander, and Rover, with the goal of
exploring the lunar south pole.
Launch Vehicle: GSLV MkIII-M1
Although the lander and rover crashed on the moon's surface, the Orbiter
successfully collected data and found signatures of water at all latitudes.

Types of Moon Missions:

Flybys: These missions involve spacecraft passing near the moon without
entering its orbit, allowing for observations from a distance.
Examples include Pioneer 3 and 4 by the United States and Luna 3 by the
USSR.
Orbiters: These spacecraft enter lunar orbit to conduct prolonged studies of the
moon's surface and atmosphere.
Chandrayaan-1 and 46 other missions have utilized orbiters.
Impact Missions: Extensions of orbiter missions, impact missions involve
instruments making an uncontrolled landing on the lunar surface, providing
valuable data before being destroyed.
Chandrayaan-1's Moon Impact Probe (MIP) followed this approach.
Landers: These missions aim for a soft landing on the moon's surface, allowing for
close-quarter observations.
Luna 9 by the USSR was the first successful landing on the moon in 1966.
Rovers: Rovers are specialized payloads that detach from landers and move
independently on the lunar surface.
They gather valuable data and overcome the limitations of stationary landers.
Chandrayaan-2's rover was called Pragyan( same name is retained for
Chandrayaan-3 as well).

https://www.printfriendly.com/p/g/M96JYv 5/6
7/30/23, 3:26 PM Chandrayaan-3

Human Missions: These missions involve the landing of astronauts on the moon's
surface.
Only NASA has achieved this feat, with six successful landings between
1969 and 1972.
NASA's Artemis III, planned for 2025, will mark humanity's return to the
moon.

Watch Video At: https://youtu.be/p7DDgnW46hI

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Question (PYQ)

Q. Discuss India’s achievements in the field of Space Science and Technology. How the
application of this technology has helped India in its socio-economic development?
(2016)

https://www.printfriendly.com/p/g/M96JYv 6/6