{"id":6030,"date":"2026-09-10T11:05:51","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T05:35:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/?p=6030"},"modified":"2026-09-10T11:50:43","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T06:20:43","slug":"chandrayaan-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/chandrayaan-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Chandrayaan 3"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>Chandrayaan 3 Mission <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">is the second attempt of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), after Chandrayaan-2, to demonstrate India's capability in <\/span><b>safe landing and roving<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> 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\u2019s South Pole.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chandrayaan-3 was launched by ISRO on July 14, 2023, from Sriharikota, and as expected, <\/span><b>Vikram Lander <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">made a soft landing on the Moon along with the <\/span><b>Rover Pragyan<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> on August 23, 2023. Looking ahead, Chandrayaan 4 serves as the next logical way forward, focusing on returning lunar soil samples back to Earth.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chandrayaan 3 Objectives<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">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 <\/span><b>mission objectives of the Chandrayaan-3 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">are:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">To demonstrate a safe and soft landing on the lunar surface<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">To demonstrate Rover roving on the Moon<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">To conduct in situ scientific experiments.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chandrayaan 3 Launch<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chandrayaan 3 was launched on July 14, 2023, from Sriharikota aboard the LVM3-M4 (GSLV Mk III) rocket by <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/isro\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">ISRO<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. 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.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chandrayaan 3 Launch Vehicle LVM3<\/span><\/h3>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/lvm3-gslv-mk3\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">LVM3 - GLSV Mk3<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">) is the operational heavy-lift launch vehicle of ISRO and has a spectacular pedigree of completing 6 consecutive successful missions.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It is a three-stage launch vehicle with two solid stages and one core liquid stage.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is the 4th operational flight of LVM3, which aims to launch the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft to GTO (Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit).<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">LVM3 has proven its versatility to undertake most complex missions, like<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Injecting multiple <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/types-of-satellite\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">types of satellites<\/span><\/a><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mission planning to ensure safe relative distance among separated satellites through re-orientation and velocity addition maneuvers<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Multiple <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/types-of-orbits\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">types of orbits<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (LEO, MEO, and GEO) and execute interplanetary missions.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">India\u2019s 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).<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiramias.sgp1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/strapi\/media\/2023\/8\/22\/20\/17\/2\/lvm3-rocket-and-chandrayaan-3.png\" alt=\"LVM3 Rocket\" width=\"450\" height=\"455\" \/><\/p>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chandrayaan 3 Propulsion Module<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">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.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The propulsion module carried the lander and rover from injection orbit to 100 km lunar orbit.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The main function of the Propulsion Module was to carry the Lander Module from the launch vehicle injection orbit until Lander separation.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Payload: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">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.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It will look for smaller planets that could be habitable in the reflected light.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" style=\"font-size: inherit;font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, &#039;Segoe UI&#039;, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, &#039;Apple Color Emoji&#039;, &#039;Segoe UI Emoji&#039;, &#039;Segoe UI Symbol&#039;\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiramias.sgp1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/strapi\/media\/2023\/8\/22\/20\/19\/45\/Parts_of_the_Chandrayaan_3_Mission.png\" alt=\"Parts of the Chandrayaan 3 Mission\" width=\"496\" height=\"332\" \/><\/h2>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chandrayaan 3 Lander-Rover Module<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiramias.sgp1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/strapi\/media\/content\/ckeditor\/2023\/08\/25\/chandrayaan-3-lander-module.png\" alt=\"Chandrayaan 3 lander module\" width=\"471\" height=\"337\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The lander module consists of The Chandrayaan-3 mission features the Vikram lander and the Pragyan rover. The lander has been named after<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/vikram-sarabhai\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Vikram Sarabhai<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">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.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">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.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<figure>\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\" colspan=\"2\"><strong>Lander payloads<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>- Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive Ionosphere and Atmosphere (RAMBHA)<\/td>\r\n<td>- To measure the plasma density fluctuations near the lunar surface.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>- Chandra\u2019s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE)<\/td>\r\n<td>- To carry out the thermal traits of the moon's frigid polar zones.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>- Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA)<\/td>\r\n<td>- To measure seismic activity, unveiling lunar crust-mantle configuration<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>- LASER Retroreflector Array (LRA)<\/td>\r\n<td>- To understand the dynamics of the Moon system<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td colspan=\"2\"><strong>Rover payloads<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>- Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS)<\/td>\r\n<td>- To determine the soil and rocks\u2019 chemical composition and mineral attributes<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>- LASER Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS)<\/td>\r\n<td>- To analyse elemental constitution, enriching lunar geology insights<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chandrayaan 3 Mission Timeline<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">India\u2019s 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:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\">\r\n<p><b>Date<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\">\r\n<p><b>Event<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>July 14, 2023<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Launched via LVM3 rocket from Sriharikota into Earth orbit.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>July 15\u201325, 2023<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Executed five Earth-bound orbit-raising maneuvers.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>August 1, 2023<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Completed Trans-Lunar Injection (TLI) to enter lunar trajectory.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>August 5, 2023<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Achieved successful Lunar-Orbit Insertion (LOI).<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>August 6\u201316, 2023<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Performed orbit reduction maneuvers to position near the Moon.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>August 17, 2023<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lander Module (Vikram) successfully separated from Propulsion Module.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>August 18\u201320, 2023<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Executed two de-boosting operations to lower the lander's orbit.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>August 23, 2023<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Historic Soft Landing<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> of the Vikram lander near the Moon's South Pole.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>August 24, 2023<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Pragyan Rover deployed and began rolling on the lunar surface.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>September 4, 2023<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lander and Rover placed into sleep mode after completing surface operations.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chandrayaan 3 Major Findings<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">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).<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Thermal Profiling: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">ChaSTE measured lunar surface and subsurface temperatures, establishing the first vertical thermal profile near the pole.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Elemental Analysis:<\/b> <b>LIBS &amp; APXS c<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">onfirmed the presence of Sulphur (S), Aluminium, Calcium, Iron, and other trace elements in lunar soil.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Seismic Monitoring:<\/b> <b>ILSA <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">recorded lunar seismic activity and natural movements around the landing region.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Orbital Maneuver:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The Propulsion Module successfully returned to Earth orbit for extended study.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chandrayaan 3 International Co-operation<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chandrayaan-3 included key international cooperation through joint payload contributions and global tracking and communication networks.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">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.<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This lightweight structure with eight Retroreflectors can serve as a long-term geodetic station and a location marker on the lunar surface.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ground stations of ISRO located in Brunei, Indonesia and Mauritius; the European Space Agency (ESA) located in French Guiana, the UK &amp; 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, <\/span><b>deep space communication,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and navigation.<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Deep space communication is provided by the Deep Space Network, which is an international array of giant radio antennas that supports interplanetary spacecraft missions.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chandrayaan 3 Key Differences from the Chandrayaan-2 Mission<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">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:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><b>\u201cFailure-based design\u201d instead of the \"Success-based design\": <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Failure-based design means the calculation and programming of all the probable scenarios that can go wrong.<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">These include failure of electronics, engine failure, being unable to reach the landing spot, sensor failure, algorithm failure, velocity higher than required, etc.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thus, if everything, including sensors, had failed, the Vikram would still have made the landing.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><b>Increase in the landing area: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The target area of Chandrayaan-3 is 4km x 2.4km instead of the 500m x 500m targeted by Chandrayaan-2.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li><b>More fuel for Lander: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It was used to facilitate the Lander to travel longer distances to the landing site and, if needed, to the alternate landing site.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li><b>Help from Chandrayaan-2 orbiter: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Chandrayaan-3 mission does not carry an orbiter; it is using high-resolution images from the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li><b>More robust integrated craft: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">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.<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The number of thrusters has decreased from five to four, without the central thruster.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The legs are now sturdier to ensure that they can land even at a higher velocity.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Use of additional solar panels to ensure power generation after a soft landing, regardless of the weather on the Moon.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiramias.sgp1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/strapi\/media\/2023\/8\/22\/20\/21\/31\/chandrayaan-2-vs-chandrayaan-3.png\" alt=\"Chandrayaan-2 Vs Chandrayaan-3\" \/><\/p>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chandrayaan 3 vs. Luna 25<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">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:<\/span><\/p>\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\">\r\n<p><b>Factors<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\">\r\n<p><b>Luna-25<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td class=\"tb-color\">\r\n<p><b>Chandrayaan-3<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Journey time (to reach lunar orbit)<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">6 days (due to more fuel storage)<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">23 days (relying more on gravity)<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Path of the trajectory<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Direct trajectory (more fuel)<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">More circuitous route (economic)<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Payload weight<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">1,750 kg (Lighter payload, higher fuel storage)<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">3900 kg payload (higher payload, more robustness)<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Rover<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Absent (the scientific study was to be carried out by the Lander)<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Pragyan (Rover)<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Mission life<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">1 year<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">14 days (1 lunar day)<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><b>Power for the Mission (post landing)<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Nuclear radioisotopes and Solar energy<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<td>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Solar panel<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiramias.sgp1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com\/strapi\/media\/2023\/8\/22\/20\/23\/32\/chandrayaan-3-vs-luna-25.png\" alt=\"Chandrayaan-3 vs Luna-25\" \/><\/p>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chandrayaan 3 Significance<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">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\u2019s strategic position in aerospace technology.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><b>Future lunar exploration: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Mission could play a vital role in India's quest to establish a human presence on the Moon.<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lunar gravity and atmosph\u0435r\u0435 open doors for low-cost space launches. The ability to use lunar resources for rocket prop\u0435llant could r\u0435volutioniz\u0435 Th\u0435 interplanetary missions.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The collaboration with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) for their Lunar Polar Exploration Mission (<\/span><b>LUPEX<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">) or <\/span><b>Chandrayaan-4<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, etc., will benefit from the success of this Mission.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><b>Advancing space education: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Mission will work towards advancing space education and scientific temper in India. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It can inspire the scientific community and future generations of space enthusiasts.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li><b>Lunar Surface Exploration: <\/b><b>Chandrayaan-2<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> revealed Moon details like landscap\u0435, min\u0435rals, and wat\u0435r. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chandrayaan-3's land\u0435r and rov\u0435r study rocks and soil to understand Moon history, possibly revealing asteroid impacts that caused surface changes.<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Focusing on th\u0435 moon's south pol\u0435, Chandrayaan-3 aims to find min\u0435rals, und\u0435rground f\u0435atur\u0435s, and wat\u0435r, promising fr\u0435sh insights into Moon geology and resources.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><b>Scientific Discoveries: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chandrayaan-3 carri\u0435s tools to study <\/span><b>moonquakes <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">and und\u0435rground h\u0435at.\u00a0 Seismometers on its surface reveal the Moon's interior, and thermal probes uncover crustal movements, improving our understanding of the Moon.<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It will strengthen India's grasp of lunar g\u0435ology, r\u0435sourc\u0435s, and surroundings, deepening insights about c\u0435l\u0435stial bodi\u0435s.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The mission seeks to und\u0435rstand <\/span><b>s\u0435ismicity and th\u0435rmal traits,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u0435nlight\u0435ning us about th\u0435 moon's int\u0435rior workings and broad\u0435r cosmic und\u0435rstanding.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><b>Boosting private investment: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">India's field-tech sector is on investors' radars with historic growth of private rocket launches and satellite deployments by 2022.<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The accomplishment of the Chandrayaan trio should drive investor confidence higher and attract more private investment in aerospace technology projects.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><b>Job creation: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">India\u2019s booming aerospace technology sector has already created hundreds of jobs. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Successful lunar missions and subsequent programs are poised to create additional high-tech business opportunities, both directly and indirectly.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li><b>Nurturing startups: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The success of Chandrayaan-3 could be a technology showcase, boosting India\u2019s goodwill in the global space community.<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This could attract joint ventures and business opportunities for Indian companies and startups to develop and develop space systems for the global market.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n\t<li><b>Strengthening international reputation: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">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.<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li><b>Strategic Positioning: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The success of Chandrayaan-3 could position India as an important player in the international space race, potentially matching China\u2019s influence. With Russia facing economic sanctions, it is an opportunity for India to strengthen its position.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Together with the <\/span><b>Artemis Accords<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, it will enhance India's ever-increasing space footprint.<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Chandrayaan 3 UPSC PYQs<\/span><\/h2>\r\n<p><b>Q1: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What is the main task of India\u2019s 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 \u2018Virtual Launch Control Centre\u2019 at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, which contributed to the successful launch from Sriharikota. <\/span><b>(UPSC Mains 2023)<\/b><\/p>\r\n<p><b>Q2: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">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. <\/span><b>(UPSC Mains 2017)<\/b><\/p>\r\n<p><b>Q3: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Consider the following space missions: <\/span><b>(UPSC Prelims 2025)<\/b><\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Axiom-4<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> SpaDeX<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li>Gaganyaan<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">How many of the space missions given above encourage and support microgravity research?<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(a) Only one<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(b) Only two<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(c) All three<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(d) None<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><b>Ans: (b)<\/b><\/p>\r\n<p><b>Q4: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Consider the following statements: <\/span><b>(UPSC Prelims 2016)<\/b><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Mangalyaan launched by ISRO<\/span><\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n\t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is also called the Mars Orbiter Mission<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> made India the second country to have a spacecraft orbit the Mars after USA<\/span><\/li>\r\n\t<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> made India the only country to be successful in making its spacecraft orbit the Mars in its very first attempt<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Which of the statements given above is\/are correct?<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(a) 1 only<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(b) 2 and 3 only<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(c) 1 and 3 only<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(d) 1, 2 and 3<\/span><\/p>\r\n<p><b>Ans: (c)<\/b><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chandrayaan-3 is India&#8217;s third lunar mission, launched with its lander, Vikram, rover and Pragya with the objective of landing near the South Pole region of the Moon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":19305,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[38,31],"tags":[772,40,652],"class_list":["post-6030","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-upsc-notes","category-upsc-science-and-technology-notes","tag-chandrayaan-3","tag-quest","tag-upsc-science-and-technology-notes"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6030","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6030"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6030\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29718,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6030\/revisions\/29718"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19305"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6030"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6030"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/upsc-exam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6030"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}