On August 23, the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft made a soft landing on the Moon. India has become the fourth country in history to achieve such success.
Chandrayaan-3 was launched on July 14. After a series of maneuvers, the spacecraft entered orbit around the Moon. On August 17, the descent platform separated from it. After that, it made a series of course corrections that were required for its landing.
The landing took place on August 23. It went exactly according to plan. Chandrayaan-3 landed in the southern circumpolar region of the Moon. Thanks to this success, India became only the fourth country (after the USSR, the USA and China), which managed a soft landing on the moon of our planet. Moreover, the Chandrayaan-3 became the first vehicle in history to land at such high latitudes.
Chandrayaan-3 Mission:
‘India????????,
I reached my destination
and you too!’
: Chandrayaan-3Chandrayaan-3 has successfully
soft-landed on the moon ????!.Congratulations, India????????!#Chandrayaan_3#Ch3
— ISRO (@isro) August 23, 2023
After completing the equipment checks, Chandrayaan-3 will begin its scientific program. The descent platform is equipped with instruments designed to study the thermal characteristics of the lunar regolith, the properties of near-surface plasma and seismic activity. Also on board is a corner reflector, which allows for high-precision measurements of the distance to the Moon.
Another important cargo of Chandrayaan-3 is a 26-kilogram lunar rover. It carries instruments designed to determine the mineralogical composition of the lunar surface. It is expected that in the near future the lunar rover will leave the platform and begin to study the surrounding area.
Both the lunar rover and the Chandrayaan-3 platform are designed to operate for one lunar day (14 Earth days). But, according to ISRO experts, the tests they conducted showed that the platform and the lunar rover, in theory, could survive a cold lunar night. If their electronics don’t freeze and they manage to recharge their batteries and get in touch with Earth, their mission will be extended.
Follow us on Twitter to get the most interesting space news in time
https://twitter.com/ust_magazine
