India’s moon lander, part of the Chandrayaan-3 mission spearheaded by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), is preparing to touch down on the lunar surface on the evening of August 23, 2023. A critical de-boosting operation was carried out in the early hours of Sunday to set the final landing trajectory.
The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is composed of three main components:
- A propulsion module with a weight of 2,148 kg.
- A lander module weighing 1,723.89 kg.
- A rover, the lightest of the three, weighs 26 kg.
A statement from ISRO’s official Twitter handle detailed the preparations for landing: “The module’s orbit has been successfully adjusted to approximately 15.5 miles x 83.3 miles following the second deboosting operation. Upon completing internal assessments and pending the arrival of optimal sunlight at the targeted landing area, the powered descent will kick off around 8:15 am ET on August 23, 2023.”
With a budget of approximately $80 million, India’s third lunar venture primarily aims for a soft landing on the moon—a redemption of sorts, given the challenges faced during the Chandrayaan-2 mission, which saw its lander, Vikram, crash-land.
ISRO’s projections place the lander’s touchdown near the moon’s South Pole at around 8:17 am ET on August 23. Initiating its descent from a height of roughly 62.1 miles above the moon’s surface, the lander’s approach involves a series of intricate maneuvers, alternating between rough and fine braking sequences. Pre-landing procedures include the imaging of the landing area to ensure it’s free of hazards.
Once safely on the lunar surface, the six-wheeled rover will commence exploratory activities, scheduled to last approximately 14 Earth days, equivalent to a lunar day. In tandem, the propulsion module will sustain its lunar orbit, engaging in research via its primary onboard instrument, the Spectro-polarimetry of Habitable Planetary Earth (SHAPE).
The Chandrayaan-3 mission was inaugurated with its launch on July 14, soaring into the skies atop India’s formidable LVM3 rocket. The LVM3, also known as the GSLV Mk III (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III), stands as India’s most powerful rocket, both in weight and capability. Developed and managed by ISRO, the LVM3 boasts the capacity to transport heavy payloads into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) and is eventually may propel India’s crewed space missions.