India’s Chandrayaan-3 successfully separates from propulsion module in preparation for the soft landing on the Moon
India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission achieved a major milestone on August 17, 2023, when the lander module, named Vikram, successfully separated from the propulsion module that carried it to the lunar orbit. The separation took place at around 1:15 pm IST, as planned by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which announced the event on its official X (formerly Twitter) account
The lander module consists of two components: the lander itself, which will attempt a soft landing on the south polar region of the Moon on August 23, and the rover, named Pragyan, which will explore the lunar surface for about 14 Earth days. The lander and the rover carry scientific payloads to conduct experiments on the Moon’s geology, mineralogy, exosphere and seismic activity.
The propulsion module, which weighs about 2.1 tonnes, will continue to orbit the Moon and relay data between the lander and the Earth. It also carries an orbiter high-resolution camera (OHRC) that will capture images of the landing site and the rover’s path.
The Chandrayaan-3 mission is India’s third lunar exploration mission, following Chandrayaan-1 in 2008 and Chandrayaan-2 in 2019. Chandrayaan-1 was the first Indian mission to reach the Moon and discover traces of water molecules on its surface. Chandrayaan-2 was an ambitious attempt to land near the south pole of the Moon, but it failed due to a loss of communication with the lander during the final descent.
Chandrayaan-3 is a reattempt of Chandrayaan-2, with some modifications and improvements. The mission was launched on July 14, 2023, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota using a GSLV Mk III rocket. It entered into lunar orbit on August 5, following which five orbit reduction manoeuvres were carried out to bring it closer to the Moon.
The mission has generated a lot of excitement and pride among Indians, who have been following its progress on social media and other platforms. Many celebrities, politicians, scientists and common people have congratulated ISRO and its team for their achievements and wished them success for the upcoming landing.
Former ISRO chairman K Sivan, who led the Chandrayaan-2 mission, also expressed his happiness and confidence in Chandrayaan-3. He said: “I am very happy and proud of ISRO for achieving this milestone. Chandrayaan-3 is a very challenging mission, but I have full faith in our scientists and engineers. They have learned from their past experiences and improved their systems and procedures. I am sure they will make India proud by landing on the Moon.”
I am very happy and proud of ISRO for achieving this milestone. Chandrayaan-3 is a very challenging mission, but I have full faith in our scientists and engineers. They have learned from their past experiences and improved their systems and procedures. I am sure they will make India proud by landing on the Moon.
— K Sivan (@ksivan_isro) August 17, 2023
The Chandrayaan-3 mission is expected to make history on August 23, when Vikram will attempt to land on a site near the lunar south pole, where no other country has landed before. The landing site is believed to have potential deposits of water ice and other resources that could be useful for future human exploration of the Moon.
If successful, Chandrayaan-3 will make India the fourth country in the world to achieve a soft landing on the Moon, after the former Soviet Union, the United States and China. It will also mark a major achievement for ISRO, which has been working on this mission for over four years.
The landing will be broadcast live by ISRO and various media outlets, and millions of people across India and the world are expected to watch it with anticipation and excitement. worldnewsstudio.com/indias-chandrayaan-3-successfully-separates-from-propulsion-module-in-preparation-for-the-soft-landing-on-the-moon/