By Chelle Lee On the 23rd of August, 2023, India made history when it successfully landed its Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on the moon’s South Pole. The spacecraft touched down at 6:04 p.m. local time (12:34 GMT) in the South Pole Aitken Basin, the largest impact basin on the moon. (Image by The Siasat Daily on Aug 23, 2023)
The Chandrayaan-3 mission is India’s third lunar mission, and its first to land in the South Pole region. The south pole is a particularly challenging place to land because it is covered in craters and boulders. However, the Chandrayaan-3 mission was able to be executed impeccably thanks to its advanced navigation and landing systems. The spacecraft was carrying a lander, named after Vikram Sarabhai, the father of India’s space program, and a rover, Pragyan, which means “wisdom” in Sanskrit. The lander had by now deployed the rover, exploring the lunar surface for two weeks. The rover is equipped with a variety of instruments to study the composition of the lunar soil and rocks. There’s even footage of the rover, Pragyan, doing “doughnuts” on the moon, figuring out the safest route to explore the region. The mission is expected to help scientists learn more about the moon’s geology, composition, and history. The landing is a major milestone for India’s space program, since it has become the very first nation in the world to achieve a lunar landing in the moon’s enigmatic south polar region. It is also a significant achievement for the international space community, as it demonstrates the growing capabilities of space exploration. Furthermore, India has amazed the world by achieving this incredible feat with a restrictive budget at about $75 million dollars. For reference, Russia’s Luna-25, which tragically crashed on the moon shortly before Chandrayaan-3’s successful mission, reportedly had a budget ranging between $190-200 million. Accordingly, it makes people wonder what are the secrets behind India’s “thrifty” mission? First, they use a small, lightweight spacecraft: the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is about the size of a small car with lightweight materials, aluminum and composites. This makes it much less expensive to launch than a larger spacecraft. Second, it’s the utilization of a proven launch vehicle: the PSLV XL rocket is a reliable and cost-effective launch vehicle that has been used to launch many successful missions. The ISRO has a long history of using the PSLV rocket, which allows them to save money on launch costs. Third, reusing components: the ISRO has been able to reuse some of the components from previous missions, such as the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft. This saves money and reduces the environmental impact of space exploration. Fourth, making use of international cooperation: the ISRO has partnered with other space agencies, such as the European Space Agency, to share resources and expertise. This has allowed the ISRO to achieve more with a smaller budget. Last but not least, focusing on low-cost technologies: the ISRO has been developing low-cost technologies for space exploration, such as 3D printing, or additive manufacturing. These technologies can help to reduce the cost of space exploration without sacrificing quality. Celebrations were held across India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) for the triumphant mission. “We have reached where no other country could. It’s a joyous occasion.” The mission is also a major step forward for India’s space program as well as a testament to the hard work and dedication of the ISRO scientists and engineers. Not only is it a victory for India but a lasting impact for all humanity. On top of that, the mission betokens a step forward for our space exploration and, though remaining hardly plausible for now, a possibility of humans finding another prospective land for our posterity. With the ISRO now planning to send a human mission to the moon in the coming years, the parameter of space exploration has unequivocally seen a significantly new epoch of expansion. For further reference: https://www.isro.gov.in/Chandrayaan3.html. https://www.indiatoday.in/science/chandrayaan-3 https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/23/world/chandrayaan-3-lunar-landing-attempt-scn/index.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_Satellite_Launch_Vehicle a
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May 2024
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