WHAT IS CHANDRAYAAN 3?
Chandrayaan 3 is the third and most recent lunar Indian Space Research exploration mission under the Chandrayaan program of ISRO. It consists of a lander named Vikram and a rover named Pragyan, similar to Chandrayaan-2 but without an orbiter. The propulsion module serves as a liaison satellite, transporting the lander and rover designs until the craft achieves a 100-kilometer lunar orbit.
Specification of Chandrayaan 3
ISRO launched Chandrayaan-2 on board a Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3) launch vehicle, which consisted of an orbiter, a lander, and a rover. The European Space Tracking (ESTRACK) system operated by the European Space Agency (ESA) will support the mission according to a contract. Within the innovative cross-support agreement, ESA’s tracking assistance might extend to upcoming ISRO ventures like India’s inaugural human spaceflight program, Gaganyaan, and the Aditya-L1 solar research expedition.
Components of Chandrayaan 3
The Chandrayaan-3 mission comprises three main components: the propulsion module, the lander, and the lander. The propulsion module will carry the lander and rover configurations until a 100-kilometer lunar orbit, while the lander will be responsible for the soft landing on the moon. The lander will have four throttle-able engines with thrust valve slew rate changing capabilities, and the attitude correction range has been increased from 10°/s in Chandrayaan-2 to 25°/s in Chandrayaan-3.
Chandrayaan 3: Lunar Rover’s Milestones
Anticipated are significant scientific breakthroughs from the Chandrayaan-3 rover’s explorations.. On July 14, 2023, the spacecraft entered lunar orbit and is expected to achieve a soft landing on the lunar South Pole region on August 23. ISRO requested the initial funding of ₹75 crore (US$9.4 million), with ₹60 crore (US$7.5 million) for machinery, equipment, and other capital expenditure and ₹15 crore (US$1.9 million) sought under the revenue expenditure head.
