India’s Chandrayaan-3 successfully touched down on the lunar surface following a 40-day voyage that commenced from the Sathish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, overcoming a history of space mishaps.
The Vikram lander, which had previously crashed during earlier Chandrayaan missions, has at last made it to the moon’s southern pole.
Chandrayaan-3 Successfully Lands on Moon South Pole
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) announced on Wednesday that all systems are prepared to initiate the automated landing procedure of the spacecraft.
This will activate the algorithm responsible for taking control once the designated location is reached, facilitating a safe landing.
Chandrayaan-3 is anticipated to operate for a fortnight, executing a series of experiments. These include conducting spectrometer analyses to examine the mineral composition of the lunar surface subsequent to its touchdown.
“Landing on the southernmost point (of the lunar surface) would potentially enable India to investigate the presence of lunar water ice. This holds great significance for accumulating data and advancing lunar geology research,” stated Carla Filotico, a managing director and partner at SpaceTec Partners consultancy.
The primary objective of the mission is to showcase the Indian space agency’s capability to execute a delicate lunar touchdown.
India’s endeavor to land the Chandrayaan-2 mission close to the southern pole in 2019 ended in failure as it collided with the moon’s surface.
Following the prior space mishap, the Chandrayaan-3 mission triumphantly reached the moon, only days after the Russian space agency’s attempt to land in the same area.
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India has joined a distinguished cohort of nations that have achieved a gentle moon landing. Prior to Chandrayaan’s mission, this exclusive club consisted solely of Russia, China, and the United States.
The initiation of India’s space program is attributed to Vikram Sarabhai, whose name graces the Vikram lander.
As the Chandrayaan-3 Rover traverses the lunar terrain, it will conduct real-time chemical analyses. Following the soft landing at the moon’s southern pole, the Rover will be deployed by the Vikram lander.”