Chandrayaan-3

 Chandrayaan-3: India's Third Lunar Mission

Chandrayaan-3 is India's third lunar exploration mission, following the successful Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2 missions. The mission is being developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and is set to launch on July 12, 2023.

Mission Objectives

The primary objective of Chandrayaan-3 is to land a rover on the lunar surface and conduct scientific experiments. The mission will also test new technologies and techniques for future lunar missions.

Spacecraft Properties

The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft will consist of a lander and a rover, similar to Chandrayaan-2. However, it will not have an orbiter. Instead, its propulsion module will behave like a communications relay satellite. The propulsion module will carry the lander and rover configuration until the spacecraft is in a 100km lunar orbit.

The lander for Chandrayaan-3 will have only four throttle-able engines, compared to the eight engines on the Chandrayaan-2 lander. This change was made to simplify the design and reduce the risk of failure.

The total payload mass for Chandrayaan-3 is 3900 kg, with the propulsion module weighing 2148 kg and the lander module weighing 1752 kg, including the rover of 26 kg.

Significance of the Mission

The success of Chandrayaan-3 holds potential significance for India's aspirations of establishing a sustained human presence on the moon. Under the Gaganyaan program, India aims to send astronauts to space by 2022 and establish a space station in the coming years.

Chandrayaan-3 is India's latest lunar exploration mission, set to launch in July 2023. The mission aims to land a rover on the lunar surface and conduct scientific experiments. The success of the mission holds potential significance for India's aspirations of establishing a sustained human presence on the moon.