What to expect during India’s moon landing:
Nearly four years have passed since India’s last moon landing attempt, Chandrayaan-2, tragically ended in a crash. On Wednesday, India is holding its breath as the unmanned Chandrayaan-3 mission attempts to touch down successfully on the lunar surface.
India takes immense pride in its surging space program, a source of national prestige. However, the pressure on Wednesday’s landing has intensified due to the recent failure of Russia’s Luna-25 lunar lander, which aimed to touch down in the same lunar region as Chandrayaan-3. If India succeeds where Russia faltered, it will underscore the technological prowess of the world’s most populous nation.
India’s space program symbolizes the country’s growing influence in space exploration, aligning with its diplomatic aspirations as an ambitious and emerging global power.
Chandrayaan-3’s mission coincides with a global resurgence of interest in lunar exploration. The United States and China both have plans to send astronauts to the moon in the near future. Additionally, several robotic missions from Japan and the United States are slated for possible lunar exploration this year. Like India, many of these missions are targeting the moon’s south polar region, believed to contain water ice, a valuable resource for future lunar exploration.
Here’s a brief overview of what you should know about Chandrayaan-3’s mission:
- The Chandrayaan-3 landing module is scheduled to reach the moon’s surface on Wednesday at 8:34 a.m. Eastern Time (6:04 p.m. in India).
- Currently, the lander is in an elliptical orbit around the moon, with its closest approach approximately 15 miles above the lunar surface. On Wednesday at around 8:14 a.m. Eastern Time, ISRO plans to initiate the descent by firing the spacecraft’s engines. These engines will provide additional braking to ensure a soft and controlled landing.
- The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will provide a live stream from the mission control room in Bengaluru. You can watch it on ISRO’s YouTube channel or website, beginning at 7:50 a.m. Eastern Time.
- The name “Chandrayaan” translates to “mooncraft” in Hindi. The landing module comprises the Vikram lander and the Pragyan rover. This mission is fully robotic, with no astronauts on board.
- The chosen landing date of August 23 was strategically selected because it aligns with the sunrise at the landing site. The mission is set to conclude two weeks later as the lunar site experiences sunset. During its time on the moon’s surface, the solar-powered lander and rover will utilize various instruments to gather thermal, seismic, and mineralogical data.