Chandrayaan-3India made history on 23 August 2023 when its Chandrayaan-3 mission successfully landed near the Moon’s South Pole. With this achievement, India became the first country to land in this challenging region and the fourth nation globally to accomplish a soft landing on the Moon — after the USA, USSR (Russia), and China.
This ambitious lunar mission, developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), was aimed at advancing India’s space exploration capabilities and gathering important scientific data from one of the Moon’s most mysterious regions.
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🚀 Mission Overview
Mission Name: Chandrayaan-3
Launched by: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
Launch Date: 14 July 2023
Launch Vehicle: LVM3-M4 (also known as GSLV Mk III)
Landing Date: 23 August 2023
Landing Site: Moon’s South Polar region (70°S latitude)
Mission Duration: One lunar day (~14 Earth days)
Mission Cost: Approx â‚ą615 crore (~$75 million USD)
🛰️ Objectives of Chandrayaan-3
The mission was designed with three primary objectives:
Achieve a soft landing on the lunar surface.
Deploy a rover to explore the Moon’s surface.
Conduct in-situ scientific experiments using onboard instruments to analyze lunar soil, temperature, seismic activity, and chemical composition.
Unlike Chandrayaan-2, which had an orbiter, lander, and rover, Chandrayaan-3 included only the lander and rover, as the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter is still operational and continues to assist in lunar observations.
🧑‍🚀 Mission Components
1. Propulsion Module
Carried the lander into lunar orbit.
Continued to orbit the Moon after separation and carried an Earth observation payload named SHAPE (Spectro-polarimetry of Habitable Planet Earth).
Purpose: To study Earth from lunar orbit and test technologies.
2. Lander Module: Vikram
Named after Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, the father of India’s space program.
Carried multiple payloads for scientific study:
ChaSTE (Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment): Measured lunar soil temperature.
ILSA (Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity): Measured moonquakes.
RAMBHA (Langmuir Probe): Analyzed the plasma environment.
Used a sophisticated landing system with sensors, cameras, and software to perform a controlled descent.
3. Rover: Pragyan
A six-wheeled robotic rover that rolled out of the Vikram lander.
Weight: ~26 kg
Speed: 1 cm per second
Range: ~500 meters
Carried two main instruments:
Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS): Detected elements like magnesium, aluminium, silicon, calcium, iron, sulphur, etc.
Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS): Analyzed elemental composition of lunar rocks and soil.
🌌 Scientific Discoveries & Achievements
Sulphur Detection: For the first time, sulphur was discovered in the lunar south pole region, indicating volcanic activity in the past.
Temperature Measurement: ChaSTE recorded temperature variations from the surface down to 10 cm below, ranging from 60°C on the surface to -10°C underneath.
Moonquakes: ILSA detected seismic activity on the Moon’s surface.
Surface Composition: Analysis showed the presence of aluminum, calcium, iron, chromium, titanium, manganese, and oxygen — vital for understanding the Moon’s history and potential for future lunar missions.
🌍 Why the South Pole?
The lunar south pole is a region of high interest for scientists because:
It contains permanently shadowed craters that may hold frozen water.
The terrain is rugged and receives less sunlight, making landings difficult — but also ideal for long-term missions.
Water ice in these regions could support future human missions, by providing drinking water, oxygen, and even rocket fuel (via hydrogen).
🏆 Global Significance
First country to land near the lunar south pole.
Fourth country to perform a successful soft landing (after the USA, USSR, and China).
Showcased India’s cost-effective and reliable space technology.
Boosted global confidence in ISRO’s growing expertise in planetary exploration.
🔚 End of Mission and Future Plans
Chandrayaan-3’s mission concluded after one lunar day (~14 Earth days), as both Pragyan and Vikram entered sleep mode during lunar night (no sunlight for solar panels). They didn’t wake up after the cold lunar night due to extreme temperatures.
🔠What’s Next?
Chandrayaan-4 (planned sample return mission).
Gaganyaan Mission – India’s first human spaceflight program.
International collaborations with agencies like NASA, JAXA, and ESA.
✨ Conclusion
Chandrayaan-3 is a historic milestone for India and global space exploration. It not only proved India’s ability to land on the Moon but also opened the door to exploring one of the most scientifically promising regions — the lunar south pole.
This mission has inspired millions, especially the youth, and positioned ISRO as a key player in the new era of space exploration.