Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh), July 14: India’s “Bahubali” rocket successfully placed the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft into orbit on Friday afternoon, marking a flawless achievement.
The heavy-lift rocket carried the 3.8-ton Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft and precisely slung it into its intended Earth orbit.
The rocket, affectionately nicknamed “Bahubali” after the heroic character from a successful film, demonstrated its strength by lifting the heavy spacecraft.
The next leg of Chandrayaan-3’s journey will cover the approximately 384,400 km distance between Earth and the Moon.
Speaking after the launch, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), S. Somanath, declared, “Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft has started its journey towards the moon. The LVM3 rocket successfully orbited the spacecraft at the intended orbit.”
MOS in PMO, Jitendra Singh, expressed his pride, stating, “It is indeed a moment of glory for India. Thank you, Team ISRO, for making India proud.”
The project’s total cost amounts to approximately Rs. 615 crore.
At around 2:55 p.m., the LVM3 rocket took off with a powerful roar from the second launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
Rising into the sky, the 43.5-meter-tall rocket weighing about 642 tons displayed a bright orange flame and left behind a long and thick white smoke trail.
The Chandrayaan-3 mission will require over a month to reach its destination, given the distance of approximately 384,400 km between Earth and the Moon.
In the coming days, the Indian space agency will maneuver the spacecraft through a series of operations to raise its orbit and put it on a Lunar Transfer Trajectory.
Once the spacecraft enters lunar orbit, the lander is scheduled to perform a soft landing near the Moon’s South Pole.
The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft consists of a propulsion module weighing 2,148 kg, a lander weighing 1,723.89 kg, and a rover weighing 26 kg, according to ISRO.
Interestingly, during the Chandrayaan-2 mission, the lander was named Vikram, in memory of India’s space pioneer Vikram Sarabhai, and the rover was named Pragyan, meaning wisdom in Sanskrit.
However, this time, the lander and rover have not been officially named.
The propulsion module of Chandrayaan-3 carries the Spectro-polarimetry of Habitable Planet Earth (SHAPE) payload, which will study the spectral and polarimetric measurements of Earth from the lunar orbit.
The lander payloads include Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) for measuring thermal conductivity and temperature, the Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) for measuring seismicity, and the Langmuir Probe (LP) to estimate plasma density variations.
Additionally, a passive Laser Retroreflector Array from NASA will facilitate lunar laser ranging studies.
The rover will carry the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) and Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) to derive elemental composition near the landing site, as per ISRO.
The moon mission comprises three phases: the Earth-centric phase (Pre-Launch, Launch and Ascent, Earth-bound Maneuver), the Lunar Transfer Phase (Transfer Trajectory), and the Moon-centric Phase (Lunar Orbit Insertion Phase, Moon-bound Maneuver Phase, Propulsion Module and Lunar Module Separation, De-boost Phase, Pre-landing Phase, Landing Phase, Normal Phase for Lander and Rover, Moon-centric Normal Orbit Phase – 100 km circular orbit – for Propulsion Module).
With this successful launch, the rocket has achieved an impeccable record of seven consecutive successful missions. This marks the fourth operational flight of LVM3.
The LVM3 rocket, with a capacity to carry four tons, is a three-stage/engine rocket featuring two strap-on motors powered by solid fuel. The second stage is a core liquid fuel booster, while the third stage is a cryogenic engine.
Moving forward, the lander is expected to make a soft landing near the Moon’s South Pole on August 23 or 24, descending from a height of approximately 100 km above the lunar surface.
The soft landing process involves a series of complex maneuvers, including rough and fine braking.
Prior to landing, the landing site region will be imaged to identify safe and hazard-free zones.
Following the successful landing, the six-wheeled rover will roll out and conduct experiments on the lunar surface for a period equivalent to one lunar day, which is approximately 14 Earth days.
The payloads carried by the propulsion module, after the ejection of the lander, will remain operational for a duration of three to six months. The mission life of the lander and rover is one lunar day or 14 Earth days, according to ISRO.
Upon successful completion, the Chandrayaan-3 mission will make India the fourth country in the world to achieve a soft landing and exploration on the lunar surface, following the United States, Russia, and China.
India’s first Moon mission, Chandrayaan-1, was launched in October 2008 using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), while the second mission took place on July 22, 2019, with the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-Mk III, now known as LVM3.
The current moon mission follows the Chandrayaan-2 mission’s unsuccessful attempt in 2019 when the lander, Vikram, crashed onto the lunar surface.
Regarding the changes made to the lander this time compared to the one that crashed during the Chandrayaan-2 mission, a senior ISRO official informed IANS that the lander now has four motors instead of five.
The space agency has also implemented certain software changes.
