The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) confirmed on Monday, May 29, that Chandrayaan-3 is slated to launch next month. The agency's chief S Somanath is confident that the upcoming lunar mission will be successful.
Follow-Up Lunar Mission Chandrayaan-3
India is preparing to stage an ambitious lunar mission with Chandrayaan-3 as part of Chandrayaan-2's follow-up launch.
According to CNBC TV 18, the Indian counterpart organization of NASA aims to successfully launch the next lunar mission in 2023 after Chandrayaan-2's failed flight in 2019.
ISRO expects Chandrayaan-3 to be smoother this time as the spacecraft travels to the moon's dark surface. The same report says that the expected take-off will happen on July 12.
The LVM3 from Sriharikota will be a part of this important mission of the decade in India's space history.
"Chandrayaan-3 will be launched in July. I am very confident," ISRO chief Somanath told ANI about the moon mission.
For those wondering about this particular flight, Chandrayaan-3 will focus on studying the elemental composition around the area. The experts will also study the lunar seismicity, the physical properties of the moon's regolith, and the condition of the lunar plasma environment.
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Upcoming Chandrayaan-3 Mission Will Be One of India's Biggest Lunar Missions
According to the Economic Times, ISRO said that the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft passed the important tests that it needed before the launch. This was conducted to determine if the vehicle was fit and could withstand the strong environment that it would encounter during the mission.
The Indian space agency added that Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-up launch next to Chandrayaan-2. Nonetheless, the July mission is somewhat challenging to the researchers since GSLV Mk III (also known as LVM3) is composed of a rover, lander, and propulsion. The Chandrayaan-2 is only composed of a lander, a rover, and an orbiter, as per India Today.
According to ISRO, Chandra's Surface Thermophysical Experiment will be one of the lander payloads in the mission. This will be a crucial part of the measurement of temperature and thermal conductivity.
The second payload is also included in the Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity which will focus on measuring the seismic activities of the area. The third and last payload is the Langmuir Probe, which will be significant in estimating the plasma density variation.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) also helped ISRO in the mission via its passive Laser Retroreflector Array. It's been used in previous lunar take-offs and is particularly used in studies about laser ranges.
Meanwhile, the rover is expected to carry the following payloads: Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy and Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer.
The propulsion module will carry the lander module while the launch vehicle is on its way before it separates during the launch.
It's interesting that India is extending its space exploration with this phenomenal breakthrough. It's a fresh sighting to see in the eyes of astronomers and scientists that a country unknown in this field is taking big strides to pull off an ambitious lunar mission soon.
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