Chandrayaan 3 : The expert highlighted that ISRO wants to use this mission to access the uncharted South Pole region of the Moon and stated that gentle landing continues to be the largest problem.
All eyes are on the second deboosting, which is slated to occur on Sunday, after the initial deboosting of the Vikram lander as part of ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 mission was successful. This is the last step before the lander makes a soft landing on the surface of the moon.
According to reports, the lander module is 157 km from the Moon as of August 19. The first wave of deboosting for the Vikram lander module, which brought its orbit down to 113 km x 157km, was performed on August 18. On August 20, there will be a second round of deboosting.
K Sivan, a former chairman of ISRO, spoke to Republic and described the difficulties that would need to be overcome for the lander to make a soft touchdown on the Moon.
The Vikram lander is travelling 157 km by 167 km around the Moon’s orbit. Retrofitting will occur in the other direction to get closer to the Moon and shorten the orbit if we wish to lower the height from 157 km x 100 km. Deboosting is the term for this. It is crucial since only the Vikram lander would approach the lunar surface with retrofiring in the opposite direction, according to Sivan.
When asked how many deboostings may be anticipated, Sivan responded, “It is difficult to predict how many deboostings will take place. The Vikram lander can occasionally approach the Moon in a single shot, but other times it may require two to three deboosting shots. Tomorrow is scheduled for Chandrayaan-3’s second deboosting, which will bring the lander closest to the lunar surface.
Sivan noted the difficulty of conducting a journey, saying, “Any space mission is vital and full of difficulties. It is not an easy procedure. Similar to Chandrayaan-3, this operation is crucial. A soft landing is difficult.
In response to a question on the ideal landing situation, Sivan stated, “It is crucial for the soft landing that there are no craters or boulders where the lander lands. It is crucial to land in the proper location. This time, ISRO has taken all required precautions, and seismic activity will also be monitored before the landing. Therefore, we are optimistic about the mission’s outcome.
The expert continued, mentioning Chandrayaan-2’s challenge: “We lost the landing seconds before the soft landing of Chandrayaan-2 due to the unpredictable lunar surface.”
“We were confident that the mission would be successful. No expedition would proceed this far if it weren’t confident in its success. The team is certain that the mission will be successful this time as well.
Sivan elaborated on the mission’s goals by saying, “India will achieve future technology through this Moon mapping.” The area around the Moon’s South Pole has never been visited. We can significantly progress science and technology if we learn more about that place. Through this mission, ISRO hopes to break the country’s current record of not having visited the South Pole region.
