Chandrayaan-3: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Saturday announced that it successfully reduced the orbit of the Chandrayaan-3 mission's Lander Module, further bringing it nearer to the moon. According to the national space agency, the Lander Module (LM) would now undergo internal checks. The LM, comprising the lander ‘Vikram' and rover ‘Pragyan’, is expected to touch down on the lunar surface on August 23. After final deboosting, India's ambitious third moon mission is expected to face different challenges.
In an exclusive interview with reporter T Raghavan of India TV, Professor R C Kapoor (space expert) shared what Chandrayaan-3 will do after a soft landing on the moon's surface and what problems are in the way for the lunar mission. While talking about ISRO's ambitious mission, Kapoor said, "ISRO scientists successfully carried out the second and final deboosting of the lander module on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday. After this, all the equipment of the lander Vikram will be checked."
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What will happen after this final deboosting?
Professor Kapoor said, "Dooriyaan nazdikyaan ban chuki hain. The deboosting was carried out nicely. The lander module will keep circling above the moon at a minimum distance of 25 KM from the lunar surface and a maximum distance of 134 KM. On August 23, at 5.45 pm, the lander module Vikram will attempt a soft landing on the lunar surface along with the Pragyan rover inside it," he said.
Why wait till August 23 when we are so close?
The sunrise at the unexplored south pole of the Moon has not happened yet and the sun should be located at 6 degrees. We have appropriate time for the preparation ahead of the landing. He further asserted that many operations will be conducted in the meantime.
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During the interview, Professor Kapoor said that Chandrayaan-3 has many advancements as compared to Chandrayaan-2 and ISRO is prepared to combat any risk of errors. He also shared that the spacecraft after landing will move on the surface of the moon within a limit and will conduct several operations and experiments. ISRO aimed at making a soft landing on the unexplored south pole of the Moon that would help India achieve a rare feat, he said.
He was further asked about the extension of the ellipse for the spacecraft, changes done this time for the landing of Chandrayaan-3 as compared to the landing of Chandrayaan-2, scientific experiments, the discovery of Helium 3 and more.
