Date:
August 24, 2023
The Vikram lander landed on the moon's South Pole yesterday at 6:04 PM. Where is India going from here?
India made a historic mark in space exploration at 6:04 PM yesterday. Chandrayaan 3, the third lunar mission, became the world’s first successful south pole moon landing ever. Chandrayaan 3’s Vikram lander made a soft landing on the South Pole surface of the moon and sent the first moon visuals using its state-of-the-art camera. Not only were the eyes of Indians hooked on the mission, but the entire world was watching it. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the ISRO team, and the entire nation prayed for them.
What’s Next For Chandrayaan 3?
After the successful landing, Vikram Lander deployed its Pragyan rover on the moon’s surface, roaming around and sending high-definition pictures straight to Earth. But the real mission for ISRO scientists starts now. After the touchdown, the rover will head out on a 1-lunar-day expedition, which equals 14 days on Earth. During this period, the Pragyan rover will analyze tonnes of data using 2 payloads installed on it, while the Vikram Lander will do the same using 3 payloads installed on it.
Vikram Lander Payloads
Rambha-LP | Langmuir Probe: It will measure the near-surface plasma density, including ions and electrons, and their changes with time.
ChaSTE | Chandra’s Surface Thermo-physical Experiment: It will carry out the thermal properties’ measurements near the polar region of the lunar surface.
ILSA | Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity: It will capture and analyze seismicity around the landing site and the delineating structure of the lunar crust and its mantle.
Pragyan Rover Payloads
APXS | Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer: It will derive the chemical composition and infer the mineralogical composition of the lunar surface to enhance our understanding of the Moon further.
LIBS | Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope: It will determine the elemental composition of the lunar soil and rocks around the landing site. The elements include Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca, Ti, and Fe.
Where to after Chandrayaan 3?
ISRO has already made leaps in scientific space research with the success of the Chandrayaan 3 mission but is ready to go beyond to achieve even more space milestones. Some of the upcoming ISRO missions in the line-up are:
- Aditya-L1 mission to study the corona of the Sun.
- The Gaganyaan Abort Mission will work on ensuring astronaut safety out in space.
- Exploration of other planets, including Mars and Venus.
- Enhancing space observation with Astrosat-2 mission.
- Improving accessibility to the lunar surface with the Chandrayaan 4 mission.
- Advancing satellite technology through space-tech development
- Conducting international collaborations for joint space projects.
The success of the Chandrayaan 3 mission will reveal critical new information about the moon, which will be useful to India and all the global space agencies trying to understand the nature of our Moon. India has emerged as one of the leading countries in multiple fields lately and is inspiring other countries to reach their space goals faster, with lower expenditure and, of course, the dedication to ensure perfection.
