Chandrayaan 3

Chandrayaan 3 Mission is the second attempt of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), after Chandrayaan-2, to demonstrate India's capability in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface. Building directly on the critical lessons from Chandrayaan-2, this mission solidified India's space exploration capabilities. After its successful soft landing on the Moon, India became only the fourth country to do so and only the first country to do so on the Moon’s South Pole. 

Chandrayaan-3 was launched by ISRO on July 14, 2023, from Sriharikota, and as expected, Vikram Lander made a soft landing on the Moon along with the Rover Pragyan on August 23, 2023. Looking ahead, Chandrayaan 4 serves as the next logical way forward, focusing on returning lunar soil samples back to Earth. 

Chandrayaan 3 Objectives

The Chandrayaan 3 mission aims to strengthen India's prowess in space discovery and innovation. One of the many goals of the Mission is to look for water ice that could support future human life on the Moon and also supply propellants for spacecraft in future interplanetary missions. The mission objectives of the Chandrayaan-3 are:

• To demonstrate a safe and soft landing on the lunar surface
• To demonstrate Rover roving on the Moon
• To conduct in situ scientific experiments.

Chandrayaan 3 Launch

Chandrayaan 3 was launched on July 14, 2023, from Sriharikota aboard the LVM3-M4 (GSLV Mk III) rocket by ISRO. The spacecraft comprised a Propulsion Module, the Vikram Lander, and the Pragyan Rover. On August 23, 2023, India became the fourth nation to soft-land on the Moon and the first to reach the lunar south pole.

Chandrayaan 3 Launch Vehicle LVM3

Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3 - GLSV Mk3) is the operational heavy-lift launch vehicle of ISRO and has a spectacular pedigree of completing 6 consecutive successful missions.

• It is a three-stage launch vehicle with two solid stages and one core liquid stage.
• This is the 4th operational flight of LVM3, which aims to launch the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft to GTO (Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit).
• LVM3 has proven its versatility to undertake most complex missions, like
  • Injecting multiple types of satellites
  • Mission planning to ensure safe relative distance among separated satellites through re-orientation and velocity addition maneuvers
  • Multiple types of orbits (LEO, MEO, and GEO) and execute interplanetary missions.
  • India’s largest and heaviest launch vehicle, ferrying Indian and international customer satellites. LVM3-M4 will be launched from the Second Launch Pad (SLP), SDSC, Shriharikota (SHAR).

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Chandrayaan 3 Propulsion Module

The Chandrayaan 3 Mission consists of two modules, the Propulsion Module (PM) and the Lander Module (LM). The total mass of the modules is 3900 kg (Propulsion Module-2148 kg, Lander Module-1752 kg, including Rover-26 kg). Chandrayaan-3 consists of an indigenous propulsion module to develop and demonstrate new technologies required for interplanetary missions.

• The propulsion module carried the lander and rover from injection orbit to 100 km lunar orbit.
• The main function of the Propulsion Module was to carry the Lander Module from the launch vehicle injection orbit until Lander separation.
• Payload: It also carries a Spectro-Polarimetry of Habitable Planetary Earth (SHAPE) payload to study the spectral and polarimetric measurements of Earth from the lunar orbit.
• It will look for smaller planets that could be habitable in the reflected light.

Chandrayaan 3 Lander-Rover Module

The lander module consists of The Chandrayaan-3 mission features the Vikram lander and the Pragyan rover. The lander has been named after Vikram Sarabhai, the pioneer of the Indian space program. They successfully landed in the lunar south polar region on August 23, 2023, making India the first nation to land near the Moon's south pole. 

• After a soft landing using the Automatic Landing Sequence, the Lander has deployed the Rover, which will carry out in-situ chemical analysis of the lunar surface during its mission.
• The total lifespan of the Mission (Lander and Rover) is a lunar day (14 Earth days). The Lander and the Rover have scientific payloads to carry out experiments on the lunar surface.

Chandrayaan 3 Mission Timeline

India’s Chandrayaan-3 lunar exploration mission was launched by ISRO to demonstrate a safe soft-landing capability near the Moon's unexplored southern polar region, alongside conducting critical in-situ scientific experiments. The following timeline highlights the key events in the Chandrayaan 3 Mission:

Chandrayaan 3 Major Findings

Chandrayaan-3 successfully landed near the Moon's south pole on August 23, 2023, making India the fourth country to achieve a soft landing on the Moon and the first to reach the lunar south pole (now known as Shiv Shakti Point).

• Thermal Profiling: ChaSTE measured lunar surface and subsurface temperatures, establishing the first vertical thermal profile near the pole.
• Elemental Analysis: LIBS & APXS confirmed the presence of Sulphur (S), Aluminium, Calcium, Iron, and other trace elements in lunar soil.
• Seismic Monitoring: ILSA recorded lunar seismic activity and natural movements around the landing region.
• Orbital Maneuver: The Propulsion Module successfully returned to Earth orbit for extended study.

Chandrayaan 3 International Co-operation

Chandrayaan-3 included key international cooperation through joint payload contributions and global tracking and communication networks.

• The Chandrayaan-3 lander carries an auxiliary instrument named Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA) that belongs to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the USA.
  • This lightweight structure with eight Retroreflectors can serve as a long-term geodetic station and a location marker on the lunar surface.
• Ground stations of ISRO located in Brunei, Indonesia and Mauritius; the European Space Agency (ESA) located in French Guiana, the UK & Australia; NASA is located in the USA, Spain, and Australia; the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) located in Chile and the USA, is providing the required support for tracking, deep space communication, and navigation.
  • Deep space communication is provided by the Deep Space Network, which is an international array of giant radio antennas that supports interplanetary spacecraft missions.

Chandrayaan 3 Key Differences from the Chandrayaan-2 Mission

Chandrayaan-2 failed in the final phase of its mission in 2019 because it could not achieve a soft landing. The main issue in the crash was that the five thrusters on the lander developed a higher velocity than expected. Also, the lander had to take pictures to fix the landing site. All of this led to accumulated errors. ISRO has now incorporated some advancements to achieve success this time by learning from previous experiences. These are as follows:

• “Failure-based design” instead of the "Success-based design": Failure-based design means the calculation and programming of all the probable scenarios that can go wrong.
  • These include failure of electronics, engine failure, being unable to reach the landing spot, sensor failure, algorithm failure, velocity higher than required, etc.
  • Thus, if everything, including sensors, had failed, the Vikram would still have made the landing.
• Increase in the landing area: The target area of Chandrayaan-3 is 4km x 2.4km instead of the 500m x 500m targeted by Chandrayaan-2.
• More fuel for Lander: It was used to facilitate the Lander to travel longer distances to the landing site and, if needed, to the alternate landing site.
• Help from Chandrayaan-2 orbiter: The Chandrayaan-3 mission does not carry an orbiter; it is using high-resolution images from the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter.
• More robust integrated craft: The weight of the payload of Chandrayaan-3 has been kept higher than that of Chandrayaan-2, with the Lander having most of the extra weight.
  • The number of thrusters has decreased from five to four, without the central thruster.
  • The legs are now sturdier to ensure that they can land even at a higher velocity.
  • Use of additional solar panels to ensure power generation after a soft landing, regardless of the weather on the Moon.

Chandrayaan 3 vs. Luna 25

Luna-25, Russia's first lunar mission since 1976, has recently crashed in an attempt to get into the landing orbit. It was targeted to land at the South Pole of the Moon, of particular interest to researchers believing that the polar craters might contain frozen water in their rocks. There are some differences between the Chandrayaan-3 and the Luna-25, which are as follows:

Chandrayaan 3 Significance

Chandrayaan-3 marks a landmark milestone in global space exploration by establishing India as the first country to soft-land near the lunar south pole. The mission advances scientific knowledge, unlocks economic opportunities, strengthens international collaborations, and elevates India’s strategic position in aerospace technology.

• Future lunar exploration: The Mission could play a vital role in India's quest to establish a human presence on the Moon.
  • Lunar gravity and atmosphеrе open doors for low-cost space launches. The ability to use lunar resources for rocket propеllant could rеvolutionizе Thе interplanetary missions.
  • The collaboration with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) for their Lunar Polar Exploration Mission (LUPEX) or Chandrayaan-4, etc., will benefit from the success of this Mission.
• Advancing space education: The Mission will work towards advancing space education and scientific temper in India. It can inspire the scientific community and future generations of space enthusiasts.
• Lunar Surface Exploration: Chandrayaan-2 revealed Moon details like landscapе, minеrals, and watеr. Chandrayaan-3's landеr and rovеr study rocks and soil to understand Moon history, possibly revealing asteroid impacts that caused surface changes.
  • Focusing on thе moon's south polе, Chandrayaan-3 aims to find minеrals, undеrground fеaturеs, and watеr, promising frеsh insights into Moon geology and resources.
• Scientific Discoveries: Chandrayaan-3 carriеs tools to study moonquakes and undеrground hеat.  Seismometers on its surface reveal the Moon's interior, and thermal probes uncover crustal movements, improving our understanding of the Moon.
  • It will strengthen India's grasp of lunar gеology, rеsourcеs, and surroundings, deepening insights about cеlеstial bodiеs.
  • The mission seeks to undеrstand sеismicity and thеrmal traits, еnlightеning us about thе moon's intеrior workings and broadеr cosmic undеrstanding.
• Boosting private investment: India's field-tech sector is on investors' radars with historic growth of private rocket launches and satellite deployments by 2022.
  • The accomplishment of the Chandrayaan trio should drive investor confidence higher and attract more private investment in aerospace technology projects.
• Job creation: India’s booming aerospace technology sector has already created hundreds of jobs. Successful lunar missions and subsequent programs are poised to create additional high-tech business opportunities, both directly and indirectly.
• Nurturing startups: The success of Chandrayaan-3 could be a technology showcase, boosting India’s goodwill in the global space community.
  • This could attract joint ventures and business opportunities for Indian companies and startups to develop and develop space systems for the global market.
• Strengthening international reputation: Successful completion of Chandrayaan-3 will make India the fourth country to land on the moon, earn global recognition, and lead to the cost-effective adoption of spacecraft manufactured by Indian companies and proof of its reliability.
• Strategic Positioning: The success of Chandrayaan-3 could position India as an important player in the international space race, potentially matching China’s influence. With Russia facing economic sanctions, it is an opportunity for India to strengthen its position. 
  • Together with the Artemis Accords, it will enhance India's ever-increasing space footprint.

Chandrayaan 3 UPSC PYQs

Q1: What is the main task of India’s third moon mission which could not be achieved in its earlier mission? List the countries that have achieved this task. Introduce the system in the spacecraft launched and explain the role of the ‘Virtual Launch Control Centre’ at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, which contributed to the successful launch from Sriharikota. (UPSC Mains 2023)

Q2: India has achieved remarkable successes in unmanned space missions, including the Chandrayaan and Mars Orbiter Mission, but has not ventured into a manned space mission, both in terms of technology and logistics. Explain critically. (UPSC Mains 2017)

Q3: Consider the following space missions: (UPSC Prelims 2025)

1. Axiom-4
2. SpaDeX
3. Gaganyaan

How many of the space missions given above encourage and support microgravity research?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Ans: (b)

Q4: Consider the following statements: (UPSC Prelims 2016)

The Mangalyaan launched by ISRO

1. is also called the Mars Orbiter Mission
2. made India the second country to have a spacecraft orbit the Mars after USA
3. made India the only country to be successful in making its spacecraft orbit the Mars in its very first attempt

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Ans: (c)