Question.
What is the main task of India's third moon mission that could not be achieved in its earlier mission? List the countries that have achieved this task. Introduce the subsystem in the spacecraft launched and explain the role of the "Virtual Launch Control Center" at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre which contributed to the successful launch from Sriharikota.
(UPSC 2023 General Studies Paper 3 (Main) Exam, Answer in 150 words)
Answer.
India's third moon mission is known as Chandrayaan 3, which was launched by ISRO in July 2023. It comprises a lander ( Vikram ) and a rover ( Pragyan). It has no orbiter. Its goal was to reach the south pole of the Moon, which no country had been able to reach till now.
The following are the main tasks of India's third moon mission that could not be achieved in its earlier mission ( Chandrayaan 2):
Soft Landing:
Chandrayaan 3 achieved in soft landing on the south pole of the moon, unlike Chandrayaan 2, which failed to do so. Chandryaan 1 had only an orbiter.
Rover Operation:
After Vikram's soft landing, Pragyan conducts a rover operation on the moon.
Lunar research:
Pragyan Rover conducted many on-site research. It detects oxygen and it is still searching for hydrogen molecules on the moon's surface.
List the countries that have achieved this task:
Russia, the United States of America, and China have achieved this task before India. However, India is the first country to reach the south pole of the Moon.
1966: Soviet Union ( Russia)'s Luna-9 soft landed.
1969: United States, Apollo 11 soft-landed with Neil Armstrong
2013: China, soft landed on the moon.
2023: India, Chandryaan 3 soft-landed on the moon.
Subsystem in the spacecraft of Chandryaan 3:
There are mainly three systems in the spacecraft, namely:
Vikram Lander:
It is designed to make a soft landing on the moon.
Pragyan rover:
It is designed to explore the moon's surface after Vikram's landing.
Propulsion Module:
It is designed to explore smaller planets like Earth, and understand celestial bodies beyond our moon.
Role of the "Virtual Launch Control Center" at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre:
Real-Time Monitoring:
It facilitates the status of spacecraft, rocket performance, and trajectory.
Coordination:
It played a critical role in the coordination between many departments associated with successful of the mission. It played a managerial role throughout the launch operation.
In summary, Chandryaan 3 was India's third moon mission. It made India a significant player in the field of space exploration in the world.
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