India’s third lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3, has achieved a major milestone by successfully separating its propulsion module from the lander and rover modules. The separation took place on Monday, December 5, 2023, at 10:15 am IST, when the spacecraft was about 100 km away from the Moon’s surface.
The separation of the propulsion module was a crucial step towards achieving a soft landing on the Moon, which is the primary objective of Chandrayaan-3. The propulsion module, which had been providing thrust and attitude control to the spacecraft since its launch on July 14, 2023, was no longer needed for the final descent and landing phase. The lander, named Vikram, and the rover, named Pragyaan, will now use their own propulsion systems to adjust their orbit and orientation for the landing.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced the successful separation of the propulsion module on its official website and social media platforms. It also released a video showing the separation event captured by a camera onboard the lander. The video showed the propulsion module drifting away from the lander and rover modules, which remained attached to each other.
A challenging landing site near the south pole
Chandrayaan-3 is aiming to land near the lunar south pole, a region that has not been explored by any previous mission. The south pole is of scientific interest because it is believed to contain water ice and other volatiles in permanently shadowed craters. The south pole also offers a potential site for future human settlements and exploration.
However, landing near the south pole is also challenging because of the rugged terrain, the varying illumination and temperature conditions, and the lack of direct communication with the Earth. Chandrayaan-3 will have to autonomously navigate and avoid obstacles during the landing, which is expected to take place on December 10, 2023, at around 2:30 pm IST.
A follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2
Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2, which attempted a soft landing near the south pole in September 2019, but failed due to a loss of contact with the lander during the final descent. Chandrayaan-3 consists of a lander and a rover similar to Chandrayaan-2, but does not have an orbiter. The mission objectives of Chandrayaan-3 are:
- To demonstrate safe and soft landing on the lunar surface
- To demonstrate rover roving on the Moon and
- To conduct in-situ scientific experiments
The lander and rover will operate for one lunar day, which is equivalent to 14 Earth days. They will perform various experiments, such as measuring the thermal properties of the lunar soil, detecting the presence of water and other elements, and studying the seismic activity and plasma environment of the Moon.
Chandrayaan-3 is India’s third lunar mission, after Chandrayaan-1, which orbited the Moon in 2008 and discovered the evidence of water molecules on the lunar surface, and Chandrayaan-2, which orbited the Moon in 2019 and released a lander and a rover. Chandrayaan-3 is also India’s first mission to attempt a soft landing on the Moon, which only three countries have achieved so far: the US, the former Soviet Union, and China.