Imagine the scenario where a laser is fired at the lunar dust and small rocks on the Moon’s surface, known as regolith, causing them to vaporize. By studying the resulting vapors, scientists can determine the chemical composition of the lunar surface, identifying rare and unknown elements that exist there and potentially unraveling the mysteries of its formation. This may sound like something out of a science fiction story, but it is not. India’s ‘Pragyaan’ lunar rover will be conducting this spectroscopy experiment, along with other experiments, during its planned 14-day mission on the Moon.
Dr. S Somanath, the Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), shared details about Chandrayaan-3, India’s third lunar mission, during the G20 Space Economy Leaders Meeting in Bengaluru. ISRO officially announced that the mission would be launched at 14:35 hours (local time) on July 14, with an estimated journey time of six weeks to reach the Moon’s surface, approximately 384,000 kilometers away. The lunar soft landing is targeted for either August 23 or 24, based on the availability of sunlight at the landing site, as sunlight is crucial for the spacecraft’s power generation and scientific operations.
ISRO has designed the Chandrayaan-3 lander and rover to operate for a duration of 14 Earth days, which is roughly equivalent to a Lunar Day. However, after this period, there will be 14 Earth days of darkness at the landing site, during which the rover and lander will be unable to recharge their batteries. The temperatures during this lunar night can plummet as low as -180 degrees Celsius. Despite these challenges, ISRO has tested their equipment for extreme conditions and expressed hope that the lander and rover will “come back to life” once sunlight becomes available again.
The rover’s mobility will be limited to the range within the lander’s cameras’ sight, and all data collected by the rover will be transmitted to the lander, then to the orbiter, and finally back to Earth. The success of the mission’s extended life depends on both the lander and rover functioning after surviving the lunar night, as they will be utilized for further experiments.
Chandrayaan-3 is India’s third lunar mission and its second attempt at a soft landing. The previous mission, Chandrayaan-2, encountered difficulties during the landing phase when contact with the lunar lander, named Vikram, was lost just two kilometers above the lunar surface. The lander made a hard landing and did not survive, rendering the mission incomplete. However, the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter continues to orbit the Moon and collect scientific data.
Unlike Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3 will not carry an orbiter with multiple science payloads. Instead, the orbiter will serve as a propulsion module to help the integrated spacecraft reach the lunar orbit. The integrated spacecraft, consisting of the orbiter, lander, and rover, weighs approximately 3.9 tonnes, which is around 300 kilograms more than the integrated Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft. The increased weight on the lunar lander includes additional fuel, ruggedization measures, failure tolerance enhancements, strengthened landing legs, larger solar panels for improved power generation, and increased scientific payloads.
As preparations for the launch progress, the 640-tonne launch vehicle has been moved to the second launch pad at the Indian spaceport. Prior to the July 14 launch, a countdown timer will be initiated, and various health checks on the vehicle and its systems will be conducted. During the final stages of the countdown, the rocket’s second and third stages will be filled with Earth-storable liquid fuels and super-cooled cryogenic fuels, respectively.
When asked about the scientific discoveries and outcomes expected from Chandrayaan-3, Dr. Somanath explained that the mission’s initial gains would come from the images and data collected from the Moon. However, the analysis and interpretation of the data will require time and will be carried out by major Indian academic institutions, research labs, and other organizations. Therefore, the results and scientific conclusions may take some time to be obtained.
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