Traffic jam around Moon: Chandrayaan-3 is not alone on lunar highway
The lunar highway is about to get busier. Russia's Luna 25 mission is set to launch on August 10, 2023, and is expected to be in lunar orbit by August 16, 2023.
In Short
- The lunar highway is about to get busier
- Russia's Luna 25 mission is set to launch
- Nasa's Artemis program is also planning ongoing lunar missions
As India's Chandrayaan-3 mission continues to lower its orbit around the Moon, the lunar orbit is buzzing with activity. India is not alone around the Moon.
As of July 2023, the Moon is set to become a bustling hub of missions with six active lunar orbiters and several more on the way.
The current lunar traffic includes Nasa's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), two probes from Nasa's THEMIS mission repurposed under ARTEMIS, India's Chandrayaan-2, Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO), and Nasa’s Capstone.
The LRO, launched in June 2009, orbits the Moon at an altitude of 50-200 km, providing high-resolution maps of the lunar surface. The ARTEMIS P1 and P2 probes, inserted into lunar orbit in June 2011, operate in stable equatorial, high-eccentricity orbits of approximately 100 km x 19,000 km altitude.
Chandrayaan-2, despite losing contact with its Vikram lander in 2019, continues to operate in a polar orbit of 100 km altitude. KPLO and Capstone also contribute to the lunar traffic, with Capstone operating in a Near-rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO).
More traffic incoming
The lunar highway is about to get busier. Russia's Luna 25 mission is set to launch on August 10, 2023, and is expected to be in lunar orbit by August 16, 2023.
The mission aims to explore the Moon's south pole, marking Russia's return to the lunar surface after a 47-year hiatus. Luna 25 will join the lunar orbiters in a 100 km altitude orbit and is scheduled to land on the Moon's south pole between August 21-23, 2023.
In addition to Luna 25, Nasa's Artemis program is also planning ongoing lunar missions. Artemis 1, an uncrewed test flight, orbited and flew beyond the Moon in late 2022. Future Artemis missions are expected to add to the lunar traffic.
With the increasing number of lunar missions, the Moon is becoming a hotspot for scientific discovery and exploration.
However, this surge in lunar traffic also presents challenges in coordinating and managing the various orbiters to avoid potential collisions and ensure the success of these ambitious missions. As we continue to reach for the stars, it seems the Moon is becoming a busy pit stop on the journey of space exploration.
