In the aftermath of Russia’s ill-fated Luna-25 lunar probe’s crash landing, India’s extensively instrumented Chandrayaan-3 robotic lander gracefully disengaged from its orbit, commencing a rocket-powered descent towards the lunar surface. This intricate maneuver culminated in a successful touchdown in close proximity to the moon’s southern pole.
This automated landing has propelled India’s increasingly advanced space program into the echelons of a “space superpower,” establishing it as the fourth nation globally, following the United States, China, and the former Soviet Union, to execute a flawless landing of an operational spacecraft on the moon. Remarkably, India is the pioneer in reaching the enigmatic south polar region.
Depicting the Chandrayaan-3’s journey, it orbited the moon following an elliptical path, ranging from a zenith of 83 miles to a nadir of merely 15.5 miles. At approximately 8:15 a.m. EDT, its braking thrusters ignited at an altitude of roughly 18 miles, heralding the initiation of a powered descent toward the lunar terrain.
As it descended to an altitude of approximately 4.5 miles, the spacecraft’s velocity decelerated from a staggering 3,758 mph to a more manageable 800 mph. It then briefly suspended its descent for about 10 seconds to meticulously align itself with the designated landing locale.
Subsequently, the computer-guided descent continued, relaying a continuous stream of images portraying its deliberate approach to the lunar surface below. With Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi observing via a televised link, the spacecraft delicately settled onto the surface around 8:33 a.m.
The moment of triumph prompted a jubilant uproar within the Indian Space Research Organization’s control center, resonating with the exultant cheers and applause of engineers, mission directors, dignitaries, and guests.
With jubilation, ISRO Chairman Shri Somanath proclaimed, “We have accomplished a gentle lunar landing. Yes, on the moon!”
Prime Minister Modi then addressed the ISRO team, articulating in Hindi but interjecting English to declare, “India has now achieved lunar presence!”
He emphasized, “The credit extends to all of humankind,” adding, “This triumph will aid future lunar endeavors by nations worldwide. I am confident that the global community can collectively aspire to transcend earthly confines. The realm of possibilities knows no bounds!”
Chandrayaan-3’s dramatic touchdown was broadcast live on YouTube and the Indian space agency’s official website, serving as a culmination of a resolute four-year campaign to rebound from a software anomaly that precipitated the Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft’s last-minute crash in 2019.
While there was an initial prospect of Russia’s Luna-25 probe overshadowing India’s feat with its planned landing, fate intervened as a misfired thruster during the weekend spelled doom for Roscosmos’ endeavor. Their spacecraft met its demise in a “collision with the lunar surface.”
In stark contrast, Chandrayaan-3’s orbital adjustments unfolded according to plan, orchestrating a touchdown synchronized with the break of lunar dawn at the predetermined site. Designed for a complete two-week lunar “day,” Chandrayaan-3 consists of the solar-powered Vikram lander and a diminutive 83-pound six-wheel rover named Pragyan, snugly nestled within the lander.
The lander is replete with instruments for gauging temperature, thermal conductivity, seismic activity, and the surrounding plasma environment. Additionally, it carries a NASA-designed laser reflector array to meticulously gauge the moon’s separation from Earth.
The rover, endowed with its own solar array, is engineered to trundle down a ramp onto the lunar surface from its haven within the lander. It also harbors various instruments, including two spectrometers to facilitate the elemental analysis of lunar rocks and soil at the landing site.
Although scientific inquiry is a significant aim, the core objective of Chandrayaan-3’s mission is to showcase the prowess of soft-landing and rover technology, pivotal stepping stones toward more ambitious voyages into deep space.
The Russian space agency, Roscosmos State Corporation, extended congratulations to their Indian counterparts, acknowledging the successful landing of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft. They asserted, “The exploration of the moon holds significance for humanity at large, potentially serving as a springboard for extensive deep space exploration.”
Launched on July 14, this mission marks the first incursion into the moon’s southern polar region, an area of heightened curiosity due to the prospect of accessible ice reserves within perpetually shadowed craters. This ice holds potential as a local source of air, water, and even hydrogen-based rocket propellant for forthcoming astronautic endeavors.
The notion of ice reservoirs has sparked a new space race of sorts. NASA’s Artemis initiative outlines plans to dispatch astronauts to the southern polar region in the coming years, while China is diligently formulating strategies to dispatch its own cosmonauts, or “taikonauts,” to the moon’s southern pole by the decade’s end.
India’s interest is palpable, mirrored by Japan, the European Space Agency, and several private enterprises currently crafting robotic landers under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. These endeavors collectively underscore humanity’s collective yearning to transcend earthly confines and delve into the celestial unknown.