Bengaluru: India’s journey to the Moon continues with Chandrayaan 3, and the nation eagerly awaits the lander ‘Vikram’ to touch down on the lunar surface on August 23. ISRO chairman S Somanath recently expressed confidence in the mission’s design and capabilities, stating that Vikram will be able to achieve a soft landing even in the face of sensor failure or engine malfunctions.
During a talk titled ‘Chandrayaan-3: Bharat’s Pride Space Mission,’ hosted by non-profit organization Disha Bharat, Mr. Somanath discussed the unique design of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, emphasizing its resilience. “If everything fails, if all the sensors fail, nothing works, still it (Vikram) will make a landing. That’s how it has been designed — provided that the propulsion system works well,” he affirmed.
Chandrayaan-3 launched on July 14 and entered lunar orbit on August 5. The next significant stages include three de-orbiting maneuvers scheduled for August 9, 14, and 16, aimed at bringing Vikram closer to the Moon. These exercises will reduce the craft’s orbit to 100 km x 100 km from the Moon, setting the stage for the landing on August 23.
Detailing the upcoming activities, Mr. Somanath explained that a lander propulsion module separation exercise would follow the deboost process, leading to the ultimate lunar landing. Assurance was also provided about the lander’s ability to land even if two of its engines failed. “So the whole design has been made to make sure that it (Vikram) should be able to handle many failures, provided the algorithms work properly,” the ISRO chairman stated.
The central challenge, according to Mr. Somanath, is transferring Vikram from a horizontal to a vertical position to achieve a safe landing on the Moon. This aspect is particularly crucial as it was a key issue during the previous Chandrayaan-2 mission. He outlined the complexity of this transition, highlighting the need to ensure that fuel consumption is minimal, distance calculations are accurate, and algorithms function effectively.
However, this time around, the ISRO team has made preparations to handle variations in the calculations, focusing on ensuring a successful landing attempt.
Chandrayaan-3’s lander and rover are equipped with several payloads. The lander Vikram will carry four significant instruments, including ones for measuring thermal properties of the lunar surface, near-surface plasma density, accurate positioning on the lunar surface, and instruments for lunar seismic activity.
The rover ‘Pragyan’ is fitted with instruments to determine the elemental and chemical composition of the lunar soil and rocks, enhancing our understanding of the lunar surface.