Chandrayaan-3 mission: All your questions answered

India's Chandrayaan-3 mission is poised to script a historic chapter in space exploration as it readies to soft-land on the sirface of the Moon. The Indin Space Research Organisation will conduct the soft landing on August 23 as the spacecraft continues to orbit the Moon in an elliptical orbit.

Ahead of the planned landing, here's a brief FAQ on India's ambitious moon mission.

What is Chandrayaan-3?

Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2, initiated by ISRO to demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface. Unlike its predecessor, Chandrayaan-3 consists only of a Lander and Rover configuration. It aims to demonstrate the capability of safely landing on the moon and roving on its surface.

How is Chandrayaan-3 different from Chandrayaan-2?

Chandrayaan-3 does not have an orbiter, unlike Chandrayaan-2. Instead, it focuses on demonstrating the capability of safe landing and roving on the lunar surface. The mission includes advanced technologies in the Lander, such as Laser & RF-based Altimeters, Laser Doppler Velocimeter, and more.

What are the objectives of Chandrayaan-3?

The primary objectives of Chandrayaan-3 are:

* To demonstrate safe and soft landing on the lunar surface.
* To demonstrate roving capabilities on the moon.
* To conduct in-situ scientific experiments on the lunar surface.

4. What are the payloads on the Lander and Rover?

The Lander is equipped with payloads like:

* Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) for measuring thermal properties.
* Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) to measure seismicity.
* Langmuir Probe (LP) for plasma density estimation.
* A passive Laser Retroreflector Array from NASA for lunar laser ranging studies.

The Rover carries:

* Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) and
* Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) for elemental composition analysis.

How long is the mission expected to last?

The mission life for both the Lander and Rover is approximately one lunar day, which is equivalent to about 14 Earth days.

Where is the planned landing site for Chandrayaan-3?

The prime landing site is a region measuring 4 km x 2.4 km, located at coordinates 69.367621 S, 32.348126 E on the lunar surface.

What is the role of the Propulsion Module in Chandrayaan-3?

The Propulsion Module's main function is to transport the Lander Module from the launch vehicle injection until the final lunar 100 km circular polar orbit. After separating the Lander Module, the Propulsion Module will operate its scientific payload, Spectro-polarimetry of Habitable Planet Earth (SHAPE), to study Earth from the lunar orbit.

Which launch vehicle was used to send Chandrayaan-3 to space?

Chandrayaan-3 was launched using the LVM-3 launch vehicle, which placed the integrated module in an Elliptic Parking Orbit (EPO) of size approximately 170 x 36500 km.

What are the advanced technologies present in the Lander?

The Lander boasts several advanced technologies, including Laser & RF-based Altimeters, Laser Doppler Velocimeter, Lander Horizontal Velocity Camera, and a Hazard Detection and Avoidance system with a dedicated camera and processing algorithm.

Are there any special tests conducted for Chandrayaan-3?

Yes, several Lander special tests have been successfully carried out to demonstrate advanced technologies in Earth conditions. These tests include Integrated Cold Test, Integrated Hot test, and Lander Leg mechanism performance test on a lunar simulant test bed.