"The Secrets of the Lunar South Pole Revealed by India’s Chandrayaan-3 Mission"
India
has achieved a remarkable feat in space exploration by becoming the first
country to land a spacecraft on the lunar south pole, a region of great
scientific and strategic interest. The Chandrayaan-3 mission, launched on July
14, 2023, successfully touched down on the moon's surface on August 23, 2023,
after a series of complex maneuvers and precision landing. The mission consists
of three components: a lander named Vikram, a rover named Pragyan, and a
propulsion module that provides the thrust for the journey.
The
lunar south pole is a challenging and unexplored destination, as it features
craters that are permanently shadowed from sunlight and may contain water ice
deposits. Water ice is a valuable resource for future lunar missions, as it can
be used as a source of drinking water, to cool equipment, or to produce fuel
and oxygen. The south pole region also offers near-constant solar illumination
on some crater rims, which can provide power and communication for the
spacecraft.
The
Chandrayaan-3 mission aims to study the lunar surface and subsurface using a
variety of scientific instruments on board the lander and the rover. The lander
carries four payloads: a camera, a seismometer, a thermal probe, and a Langmuir
probe. The camera will capture images of the landing site and the surroundings.
The seismometer will measure moonquakes and other seismic activities. The
thermal probe will measure the temperature and thermal conductivity of the
lunar soil. The Langmuir probe will measure the plasma environment near the
surface.
The
rover carries two payloads: a camera and a spectrometer. The camera will take
images of the terrain and the rocks. The spectrometer will analyze the elemental
composition of the soil and rocks. The rover can travel up to 500 meters from
the lander and communicate with it via radio link.
The
Chandrayaan-3 mission is a continuation of India's lunar exploration program,
which began with Chandrayaan-1 in 2008 and Chandrayaan-2 in 2019. Chandrayaan-1
was India's first lunar orbiter, which discovered evidence of water molecules
on the moon using its radar instrument. Chandrayaan-2 was India's second lunar
orbiter and first lander-rover mission, which attempted to land near the south
pole but failed due to a technical glitch.
The
Chandrayaan-3 mission is a testament to India's scientific and engineering
capabilities, as well as its ambition to become a leading spacefaring nation.
The mission was led by P. Veeramuthuvel, the chief scientist at ISRO, with
Srikant as the mission director and Kalpana as the associate project director.
M. Sankaran served as the director of Space Park Leicester, which provided
strategic partnerships for the mission.
The
successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 was celebrated across India and around the
world, as it marked a historic milestone in lunar exploration. Prime Minister
Narendra Modi congratulated ISRO and praised its achievements in his message to
the nation. He said that India is proud of its space scientists and that
Chandrayaan-3 is an inspiration for future generations.
The
Chandrayaan-3 mission is not only a scientific endeavor but also a cultural
one, as it reflects India's heritage and values. The name Chandrayaan means
"moon vehicle" in Sanskrit, an ancient language of India. The lander
Vikram is named after Vikram Sarabhai, the father of India's space program. The
rover Pragyan means "wisdom" in Sanskrit, which signifies India's
quest for knowledge.
The
Chandrayaan-3 mission is expected to operate for at least one lunar day (14
Earth days), during which it will collect and transmit valuable data to Earth.
The mission will also pave the way for future lunar missions by India and other
countries, as well as potential human settlements on the moon.
India's
Chandrayaan-3 is a historic landing on the moon's south pole that showcases
India's prowess in space exploration and its contribution to humanity's
understanding of our nearest celestial neighbor.
Sources:
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/08/space-water-ice-moon-south-pole/
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-66594520
https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/23/world/chandrayaan-3-lunar-landing-attempt-scn/index.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandrayaan_programme
Chandrayaan
programme - Wikipedia
India’s Chandrayaan-3 makes historic landing at Moon’s south pole
Dr. Mayank Chandrakar is a writer also. My first book "Ayurveda Self Healing: How to Achieve Health and Happiness" is available on Kobo and Instamojo. You can buy and read.
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