On the moon, over the moon – Chandrayaan-3 signals the launch of India’s time in space exploration

Source: The post is based on articles “On the moon, over the moon – Chandrayaan-3 signals the launch of India’s time in space exploration” published in The Hindu on 24^th August 2023.

Syllabus: GS 3 – Science and Technology

Relevance: About Chandrayaan-3 Mission

News: Recently, Chandrayaan-3 successfully landed on the moon’s surface. India has now become the fourth country ever to soft-land a spacecraft on the moon and the first to do so in the South Polar region. 

What is the significance of this achievement?

Chandrayaan-3’s success reflects ISRO’s response to Chandrayaan-2’s failure. After the setback, ISRO modified 21 subsystems for the upgraded Chandrayaan-3 lander, featuring redundancies for backup.

Chandrayaan-3’s achievement also marks a crucial moment for India, especially since it has joined the Artemis Accords. It could become a leader in the lunar space missions.

Chandrayaan-3 has showcased India’s understanding of key interplanetary spacecraft types: orbiters, landers, and rovers.

Chandrayaan-3’s data is important because it’s the first mission to physically, chemically, and thermally analyze the soil, subsoil, and air near the moon’s South Pole.

What are upcoming space missions?

The recent lunar success ends India’s second exploration phase.

The third phase partners with Japan’s JAXA for LUPEX, focusing on studying water-ice at the moon’s South Pole. The mission will use the Chandrayaan-2 and -3 landing system.

Chandrayaan-3’s success also boosts ISRO’s confidence for upcoming missions: electric satellites, quantum communications, human space flight, reusable launch vehicles, etc.

Must Read: Chandrayaan-3: Small step to moon, giant leap for India’s space journey

What lies ahead?

India’s technological advantage should drive more exploration and scientific research in space. Prioritizing research and scientific aims over engineering demands will lead to better outcomes.

The involvement of private companies is crucial for bringing innovation and enhancing India’s space initiatives.