India's Chandrayaan 3 Success story and people who made this possible?

India's Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission is poised for a critical milestone today, as it readies for a touchdown on the moon's surface around 6:04 pm. According to ISRO, as of August 22, the mission is progressing as planned, and its live broadcast is scheduled to commence on Wednesday at 5:20 pm.

Of considerable significance is the prospect that if the lander achieves a 'soft landing' on the moon's south pole, India will stand as the sole country to accomplish this feat. Following a successful landing, the rover, a small vehicle designed for lunar surface mobility, will disembark from the lander.

On July 14, when Chandrayaan-3 embarked on its journey to the moon, we provided an overview of the mission, including the fundamental aspects of space launches, insights into the earlier Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2 missions, and more.

Chandrayaan 3 Budget

• The budget for Chandrayaan 3 is about Rs. 615 crore which is quite less in comparison with the other lunar missions
• The cost of Chandrayaan 2, including the orbiter, lander, rover, navigation, and ground network, as well as the heavy rocket, was estimated at Rs 978 crore.
• Chandrayaan-1, the inaugural Indian deep space mission, was launched to orbit and impact the Moon. It cost Rs 386 crore (US $48 million) and was launched in October 2008.

Chandrayaan 3 landing time

1. India's lunar mission approaches a crucial phase as Vikram Lander prepares for a soft landing around 6:04 pm, releasing Pragyan rover.
2. Vikram Lander currently sits 25 km from the Moon's nearest point and 134 km from the farthest, signifying steady progress.
3. After the previous lunar mission's setback, ISRO exercises extra caution, addressing risks and aiming to avoid a repeat of history.

Why Moon's south pole is Important?

1. Chandrayaan-3 targets the lunar South Pole due to the significance of water ice in craters, essential for both research and future crewed missions.
2. Unexposed to sunlight, the craters' frozen water, dating back billions of years, may hold insights into the early solar system's conditions.
3. Water presence on the Moon is vital for potential future human missions, making the lunar South Pole exploration pivotal.
4. Unlike previous missions, Chandrayaan-3's focus on the Moon's South Pole promises novel insights into lunar water exploration.
5. The Moon's south pole resembles Earth's diverse environments, enabling researchers to glean ancient Earth insights and assess lunar colonization prospects.

5 Scientists behind Chandrayaan 3

1. P Veeramuthuvel: Project Director Son of a former Railways employee, Veeramuthuvel is heading the Chandrayaan-3 mission. His team of scientists monitors the spacecraft's health and operations from the Isro Telemetry, Tracking, and Command Network Centre. He has overseen critical orbit maneuvers and is integral to the mission's success.
2. B N Ramakrishna: Director, ISTRAC As the Director of ISTRAC, Ramakrishna coordinates mission control for deep space endeavors. For Chandrayaan-3, ISTRAC collaborates with deep space network stations globally. Ramakrishna is skilled in navigation using satellites and orbit determination.
3. M Sankaran: Director, U R Rao Space Centre Sankaran led the construction of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft at URSC. He has a history of contributions to missions like Chandrayaan 1 and 2 and Mars Orbiter Missions. Sankaran's expertise in spacecraft development has been vital to the mission's progress.
4. S Mohana Kumar: Mission Director Kumar directed the successful launch of Chandrayaan-3 on the LMV3 rocket. He's a senior scientist at Isro's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, with over three decades of experience. His leadership ensured precise satellite injection conditions.
5. V Narayanan: Director, Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre Narayanan's expertise in propulsion systems and cryogenic engine design is instrumental. He played a pivotal role in designing propulsion systems for Chandrayaan-3. His dedication contributed to the successful launch.

5 Challenges in soft landing of Chandrayaan 3

A major hurdle in landing an Indian spacecraft on the moon is the transition from a flat position to an upright one. This shift is quite challenging.

5 less known facts about Chandrayaan 3

1. Enhanced Lander Design: Chandrayaan-3's lander, named Vikram after ISRO's founder Vikram Sarabhai, has undergone improvements for reliability compared to its predecessor. Its weight has been increased by 280kg, and it carries extra fuel to ensure a steady course to the lunar surface.
2. Optimized Weight Distribution: The combined weight of Chandrayaan-3's lander and rover, totaling 1752 kg, is almost the maximum capacity of India's GSLV MK III rocket. ISRO has balanced this weight distribution to achieve a successful launch.
3. Thorough Mission Phases: Chandrayaan-3 consists of three distinct mission phases: Earth-Centric Phase, Lunar-Transfer Phase, and Moon-Centric Phase. Each phase is carefully planned to enable the spacecraft's journey, trajectory adjustments, and lunar landing.
4. Pragyan Rover Exploration: Once on the moon, the Pragyan Rover will be deployed to explore the lunar surface. This solar-powered rover carries two spectrometers to analyze the moon's composition and is expected to operate for about 14 Earth Days, equivalent to one lunar day.
5. Scientific Instrumentation: Chandrayaan-3's Vikram Lander is equipped with four scientific instruments. These instruments include a seismometer to detect moonquakes, a device to study heat transfer across the lunar surface, an instrument to analyze the moon's plasma environment, and a retro-reflector to study gravitational interactions between the moon and other celestial bodies.

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