ISRO and Chandrayaan 3 – NewsPatrolling.com

 The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is India's national space agency, known for its ambitious and successful space missions. One of its most notable projects is the Chandrayaan program, which focuses on lunar exploration. Here are some key highlights about ISRO and its Chandrayaan 3 missions:

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)

• Founded: 1969
• Headquarters: Bengaluru, India
• Key Achievements:
• Launching numerous satellites for various purposes, including communication, weather monitoring, and navigation.
• Developing launch vehicles like the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV).
• Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan), which made India the first country to succeed in its first attempt at a Mars mission.

Chandrayaan Program

The Chandrayaan program aims to explore the Moon and contribute to scientific knowledge about Earth's natural satellite.

Chandrayaan-1

• Launched: October 22, 2008
• Objectives:
• High-resolution remote sensing of the moon in visible, near-infrared, X-ray, and low-energy gamma-ray spectrums.
• Preparation of a three-dimensional atlas of both the near and far sides of the moon.
• Chemical and mineralogical mapping of the entire lunar surface.
• Achievements:
• Discovered water molecules on the lunar surface.
• Created a detailed map of the Moon's topography and mineral composition.
• Helped confirm the presence of water/hydroxyl on the Moon.

Chandrayaan-2

• Launched: July 22, 2019
• Components:
• Orbiter: Continues to study the Moon from orbit.
• Vikram Lander: Intended to land near the south pole of the Moon.
• Pragyan Rover: Planned to explore the lunar surface.
• Objectives:
• Study the lunar topography, mineralogy, surface chemical composition, and the lunar exosphere.
• Enhance the understanding of the Moon's evolution and map the surface.
• Outcome:
• The orbiter continues to function and send data back to Earth.
• The Vikram lander lost communication during its descent and did not achieve a soft landing. However, the mission still provided valuable data and insights.

Chandrayaan-3

• Planned Launch: August 2023 (subject to updates and changes)
• Components:
• A lander and a rover similar to Chandrayaan-2 but without an orbiter (the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter will support Chandrayaan-3).
• Objectives:
• Demonstrate ISRO's ability to perform a soft landing on the lunar surface.
• Carry scientific instruments to study the Moon's surface and gather more data on its composition.

Future Prospects

ISRO continues to plan and execute ambitious space missions, including interplanetary missions and advanced satellite launches. The success of the Chandrayaan missions has positioned ISRO as a significant player in global space exploration and has inspired further lunar and planetary missions in the coming years.