India successfully launches historic space mission to moon
Asia-Pacific, News July 15, 2023 2 Comments on India successfully launches historic space mission to moonIndia is set to become the fourth country in the world to execute a controlled landing on the moon through its Chandrayaan-3 space mission that was launched on July 14, 2023. India’s moon mission is a follow-up to a failed effort four years ago.
Built on a tight budget of $75 million, the Chandrayaan-3, which means “moon vehicle” in Sanskrit, was launched from Sriharikota, an island in the Southern State of Andhra Pradesh. If the mission is a success, India would become the fourth country in the world to achieve a soft landing on the moon. The United States, the former Soviet Union, and China have made soft landings on the moon in the past.
Japan also came close to achieving a moon landing earlier this year, however, its mission ended in failure after the spacecraft crashed due to an altitude miscalculation. Israel’s spacecraft also met a similar fate when it crashed on the moon’s surface earlier this year.
The Indian Space Research Organization confirmed the successful launch of the Chandrayaan-3 through a tweet. It said that the spacecraft has “begun its journey to the moon” in its “precise orbit.” The tweet added that the health of the spacecraft is “normal.”
LVM3 lifting-off with Chandrayaan-3 pic.twitter.com/XUQY4KHDu9
— ISRO (@isro) July 14, 2023
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the efforts of his country’s space agency through a tweet saying that “Chandrayaan-3 scripts a new chapter in India’s space odyssey. It soars high, elevating the dreams and ambitions of every Indian. This momentous achievement is a testament to our scientists’ relentless dedication. I salute their spirit and ingenuity!”
After covering the journey to the far side of the moon, the spacecraft is set to make a landing on August 23, 2023. This is India’s second attempt at achieving a soft landing on the moon. Chandrayaan-2, the predecessor of the current moon mission, ended in failure in 2019 shortly after its launch. India’s first lunar probe, the Chandrayaan-1, orbited the moon and was then deliberately crash-landed onto the lunar surface in 2008.
Developed by the government-run Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Chandrayaan-3’s lunar probe includes a lander, propulsion module, and rover. After detaching from the booster in upper space, the lunar probe would travel to the far side of the moon and land on the lunar surface. The probe contains a 2 meters tall rover that is designed to remain functional for at least two weeks. The rover would collect data and conduct a series of scientific experiments to learn more about the moon’s composition.
ISRO used the 43.5 meters tall Launch Vehicle Mark-III, or LVM3, rocket to blast the space probe into elliptical Earth orbit before it loops towards the moon for a scheduled landing near the same site where the Chandrayaan-2 crashed. The LVM-3 is a three-stage rocket with two solid-fuel boosters and a liquid-fuel core stage. The solid-fuel boosters provide the initial thrust before the liquid-fuel core stage ensures sustained thrust to propel the rocket into orbit.
Indian space missions are known to be cheaper and more cost-effective compared to the elaborated space mission designed by other space agencies around the world. India’s first mission to Mars called the Mangalyaan, cost only $74 million and made headlines for costing less than the Academy Award-winning film Gravity.
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[…] month, India launched its Chandrayaan-3 space mission that would touch down on the moon on August 23, two days after the Russian probe makes a landing. […]
[…] the area, with India, Russia, and Japan being the frontrunners. Last month, India launched its Chandrayaan-3 space mission that would touch down on the moon on August 23, and it is set to conduct its experiments for […]