Chandrayaan-3 is India’s third lunar exploration mission, following Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2. It is a follow-up mission to Chandrayaan-2, which crashed on the Moon in 2019 due to a software glitch.
Chandrayaan-3 is scheduled to launch in 2023 and will consist of a lander and rover. The lander will soft land on the Moon near the south pole, and the rover will deploy and explore the surrounding area.
The main objectives of the Chandrayaan-3 mission are to:
- Demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface.
- Study the lunar surface and subsurface composition, mineralogy, and water ice distribution.
- Study the lunar atmosphere and exosphere.
- Study the impact of the Sun-Earth plasma interaction on the lunar surface.
The Chandrayaan-3 mission is expected to provide valuable scientific data about the Moon and help India to become a leading player in lunar exploration.
Here is a more detailed look at the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft:
- Lander: The lander is a 3-legged spacecraft that will soft land on the Moon. It will carry a suite of scientific instruments, including a lunar seismic experiment, a lunar surface profiler, and a radio frequency experiment.
- Rover: The rover is a 6-wheeled vehicle that will deploy from the lander and explore the surrounding area. It will carry a suite of scientific instruments, including a camera, a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument, and a thermal imaging camera.
Scientific instruments:
- Lunar Seismic Experiment (LSE): The LSE will study the Moon’s internal structure and dynamics by measuring seismic activity.
- Lunar Surface Profiler (LSP): The LSP will map the topography and structure of the lunar surface.
- Radio Frequency Experiment (RFX): The RFX will study the Moon’s ionosphere and exosphere.
- Camera: The camera will take high-resolution images of the lunar surface.
- Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS): The LIBS instrument will analyze the elemental composition of the lunar surface.
- Thermal Imaging Camera: The thermal imaging camera will map the temperature distribution of the lunar surface.
Launch and landing:
Chandrayaan-3 is scheduled to launch in 2023 on a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mk III) rocket. The spacecraft will take about 13 days to travel to the Moon.
Once the spacecraft reaches the Moon, it will enter a lunar orbit. After a few days in lunar orbit, the lander will descend to the surface and soft land near the south pole.
Exploration:
Once the lander has soft landed, the rover will deploy and begin exploring the surrounding area. The rover will use its scientific instruments to study the lunar surface and subsurface composition, mineralogy, and water ice distribution. It will also study the lunar atmosphere and exosphere.
The Chandrayaan-3 mission is expected to operate for about 14 days. During this time, the lander and rover will collect valuable scientific data about the Moon.
Significance of the Chandrayaan-3 mission:
The Chandrayaan-3 mission is significant for several reasons. First, it is a demonstration of India’s growing capabilities in space exploration. Second, it is an opportunity to study the Moon in more detail, particularly the south pole region. Third, the mission could help to pave the way for future human missions to the Moon.
The Chandrayaan-3 mission is a challenging one, but it is also a very rewarding one. The data collected by the mission will help us to better understand the Moon and its history. It will also help us to develop new technologies for future lunar exploration missions.
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