Chandrayaan-3 Lands On The Moon Successfully The Story of ISRO’s Remarkable Space Voyage

Chandrayaan-3 lands on the moon successfully the lander of Chandrayaan-3 accomplished a flawless, gentle touchdown on the Moon’s surface slightly past 6 p.m. on Wednesday. This achievement solidified India’s position as the pioneer in approaching the lunar south pole and marked the nation as the fourth in global history to successfully land on the moon, following the United States, the former Soviet Union, and China.

Amidst nationwide jubilation over this monumental feat by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), it’s fitting to reflect on the organization’s significant past accomplishments. This retrospective glance traverses ISRO’s three key initiatives: satellites, launch vehicles, and planetary exploration, highlighting its remarkable milestones.

Chandrayaan-3 Lands On The Moon: ISRO’s Satellite Programs

On April 19, 1975, the commencement of the Aryabhata satellite marked India’s inaugural step into the realm of space exploration. Weighing 360 kg, this spacecraft was meticulously crafted by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) with the objective of conducting experiments in X-ray astronomy, aeronomics, and solar physics. The name “Aryabhata,” chosen by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, pays homage to the renowned fifth-century mathematician and astronomer. The name selection was a reflection of the camaraderie between India and the Soviet Union, with “Aryabhata” symbolizing friendship, an option chosen over names like “Mitra” and “Jawahar.”

The launch took place from the Kapustin Yar launch facility in the Soviet Union, utilizing the Kosmos 3M rocket as India lacked its own launch vehicle at that juncture. The Soviets, who had extended an offer in 1971 to assist in launching India’s inaugural satellite, subsequently agreed to do so without any cost. After achieving liftoff, Aryabhata functioned optimally for approximately five days while in space. However, it encountered a power loss, leading to a communication breakdown.

U R Rao, the key figure in ISRO’s satellite program, expressed in “From Fishing Hamlet to Red Planet: India’s Space Journey,” a book by former ISRO scientists, that Aryabhata played a pivotal role as the precursor to India’s broader space endeavors. This initial success bolstered the confidence necessary for the subsequent development of cutting-edge application satellites geared towards communication, remote sensing of natural resources, and meteorological studies.

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Shortly after the Aryabhata mission, the cosmic stage welcomed two experimental remote-sensing satellites: Bhaskar-1 in 1979 and Bhaskar-2 in 1981. These spacecraft played an instrumental role in laying the groundwork for the Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) Satellite system, an array of Earth Observation satellites meticulously constructed by ISRO.

This journey began with the launch of IRS-1A into a polar sun-synchronous orbit (a specific orbital pattern that keeps the spacecraft consistently positioned relative to the Sun) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad in Kazakhstan on March 17, 1988. IRS-1A was equipped with two cameras, namely LISS-I and LISS-II, marking it as the pioneer Indian spacecraft to deliver imagery catering to a wide array of land-based applications. These applications spanned agriculture, forestry, geology, and disaster management.

In the ensuing decades, a series of IRS satellites took flight, culminating in India currently operating one of the most extensive fleets of remote sensing satellites globally. This constellation stands as a testament to India’s remarkable achievements in the realm of remote sensing technology.

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The saga of the Chandrayaan missions

Nine years following the Chandrayaan-1 mission, Chandrayaan-2 was launched in July 2019 but encountered an unfortunate setback. The spacecraft successfully entered the moon’s orbit as planned. However, during the landing phase in the south-polar region, the lander deviated from its intended trajectory and crashed. This mishap was attributed to a software glitch according to statements from ISRO.

Chandrayaan-3 closely resembles Chandrayaan-2, with the identified software problem rectified. The successful execution of Chandrayaan-3 holds significant implications for India’s ambitions of establishing a continuous human presence on the moon. The Artemis Accords grant ISRO the rights to claim the landing area for potential mining activities. Furthermore, a triumphant Chandrayaan-3 mission is poised to stimulate innovative scientific exploration, enabling groundbreaking experiments that enhance our understanding of the moon’s composition, geology, and resource capabilities. This success will also provide an impetus to other planned missions like the Lunar Polar Exploration Mission (LUPEX), a collaborative effort between ISRO and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), focused on investigating the moon’s southern pole region.

At the core of India’s space odyssey lies a crucial lesson in self-reliance. ISRO stands as a living testament to the remarkable capabilities of Indian scientists in surmounting challenges. Despite facing bureaucratic complexities, political intricacies, and limited resources, ISRO has defied expectations and emerged as a formidable contender in the international space community. This achievement was so impactful that even the New York Times issued a rare apology for a controversial caricature in 2014. Since then, ISRO’s prominence has continued to soar, with each chapter of its narrative unfolding with even greater significance.

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