The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced the completion of a 24-hour ‘launch rehearsal’ for the Chandrayaan 3, simulating the entire launch preparation and process.
The 3900-kilogram spacecraft is scheduled to launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on July 14.
The organization also released new pictures showcasing the LVM-3 rocket stacked on the launch pad.
This marks the fourth operational flight of the LVM3, with the objective of launching the Chandrayaan 3 spacecraft to Geo Transfer Orbit (GTO).
According to ISRO, the Chandrayaan 3 mission comprises an indigenous propulsion module, lander module, and rover.
Its primary goal is to develop and demonstrate new technologies necessary for interplanetary missions.
Once the spacecraft enters the Moon’s gravitational field, it will undergo a series of orbit-reducing maneuvers to gradually lower its altitude and establish a circular orbit.
In Chandrayaan 3, the rocket will place the payload in an elliptical orbit around the earth, where a propulsion module will take over and pilot the lander to a circular orbit around the moon.
The spacecraft, equipped with a lander and rover, will separate from the Propulsion Module after being injected into lunar orbit.
Finally, the lander will detach and begin a series of manoeuvres culminating in a gradual landing (on August 23-24 this year) over the surface.
The journey is estimated to take approximately 45-48 days.
ISRO has confirmed that India’s Moon Lander mission, Chandrayaan 3, will launch on July 14th at 2:35 PM. If successful, India will become the 4th nation to accomplish this incredible feat, following the USA, USSR, and China.
The success of Chandrayaan 3 will also make it the surface mission closest to the lunar south pole to date, a region of the moon that has been found to be geologically unique and host to spots in permanent shadow.
To study these and other features, the mission has six scientific payloads. A seventh instrument, on the propulsion module, will profile the signs of life on earth to help scientists look for similar signs on planets beyond the solar system.
This will be India’s second attempt to soft-land a lander and rover on the lunar surface, and demonstrate end-to-end capability in the relevant technologies.
Chandrayaan 3 will attempt a soft landing on the Moon, marking the second endeavor after ISRO’s unsuccessful Chandrayaan 2 mission four years ago.
Soft-landing on the moon is a complicated exercise and the possibility of failure still exists.
Chandrayaan 3 is largely a replica of its predecessor, that was launched in July 2019 in the form of an orbiter and a lander (‘Vikram’) bearing a rover (‘Pragyan’).
While the orbiter entered into orbit around the moon, the landing mission failed in September when the lander crashed instead of executing a slow descent.
ISRO later identified a problem in the guidance software and unexpected dispersion in the propulsion system during certain phases of the descent as the cause of failure.
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