Chandrayaan 3

• ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 was launched successfully recently.

ABOUT CHANDRAYAAN-3

• Chandrayaan-3 was launched using LVM3 (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk III).
• It was a follow on mission to Chandrayaan-2, which was a partial success, because its lander Vikram, and rover Pragyaan, crashed on Moon’s surface.
• Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3) (previously known as GSLV-MK III) is a three-stage launch vehicle consisting of two solid propellants S200 strap-ons on its sides and a core stage comprising L110 liquid stage and C25 cryogenic stage.
• The vehicle is also dubbed as one of the heaviest for its ability to carry satellites up to 8,000 kg.
• Chandrayaan-3 consists of an indigenous propulsion module, lander module, and a rover to develop and demonstrate new technologies required for inter-planetary missions.
• Lander and rover will collect invaluable data for scientific research on lunar surface for 14 Earth days (a single day on moon).
• The mission objectives of Chandrayaan-3 are:
  • To demonstrate Safe and Soft Landing on Lunar Surface
  • To demonstrate Rover roving on the moon and
  • To conduct in-situ scientific experiments.

PAYLOADS

• Lander payloads:
  • Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) to measure the thermal conductivity and temperature;
  • Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) for measuring the seismicity around the landing site;
  • Langmuir Probe (LP) to estimate the plasma density and its variations.
  • A passive Laser Retroreflector Array from NASA is accommodated for lunar laser ranging studies.
• Rover payloads:
  • Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) and Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) for deriving the elemental composition in the vicinity of landing site.