![\"Space](\"https:\/\/c.ndtvimg.com\/2023-07\/rotit2lc_chandrayaan-3-launch_625x300_14_July_23.jpg\"\/ "\\"Space")
<\/div>\nChandrayaan-3 blasted into Space on July 14 and it entered into lunar orbit on August 5.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Bengaluru: <\/b><\/p>\n
Vikram, the lander of India’s third lunar mission Chandrayaan-3, will be able to make a soft-landing on the Moon’s surface on August 23 even if all the sensors and two of its engines do not work, ISRO chairman S Somanath said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The entire design of the lander \u2018Vikram’ has been made in a manner that makes sure that it would be able to handle failures, Mr Somanath said during a talk on \u2018Chandrayaan-3: Bharat’s Pride Space Mission’, hosted by the non-profit organisation Disha Bharat.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf everything fails, if all the sensors fail, nothing works, still it (Vikram) will make a landing. That’s how it has been designed — provided that the propulsion system works well,\u201d Mr Somanath said.<\/p>\n
Chandrayaan-3 blasted into Space on July 14 and it entered into lunar orbit on August 5. There will be three more de-orbiting manoeuvres — exercises to bring it closer to the Moon so that Vikram lands on the Moon’s surface on August 23.<\/p>\n
These de-orbiting manoeuvres will be performed on August 9, August 14, and August 16 till its orbit reduces to 100 kmx100 km from the Moon, Mr Somanath said.<\/p>\n
A lander propulsion module separation exercise will be taken up subsequently, soon after lander “deboost”, a process that slows down the craft. It will be followed by landing on lunar surface on August 23, he explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have also made sure that if two of the engines (in Vikram) don’t work this time also, it will still be able to land,\u201d the ISRO chairman said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo the whole design has been made to make sure that it (Vikram) should be able to handle many failures, provided the algorithms work properly,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
The biggest challenge before the ISRO team, according to him, is to make a horizontal \u2018Vikram’ land vertically on the lunar surface.<\/p>\n
Mr Somanath said once the lander separates from the orbiter, it will move horizontally. Through a series of manoeuvres, it will be brought to a vertical stance in order to land safely on the Moon.<\/p>\n
This exercise is crucial, as ISRO failed to get its lander to touchdown safely on the Moon’s surface during the Chandrayaan-2 mission.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ability to transfer from horizontal to vertical direction is the trick we have to play here. Here only we had the problem last time,\u201d Mr Somanath pointed out.<\/p>\n
The challenge is also to make sure that the fuel consumed is lesser, the distance calculations are correct and all the algorithms work properly, the ISRO chief said.<\/p>\n
However, the ISRO team this time has made arrangements to ensure that Vikram makes an attempt to land property even if there are some variations in the calculations, Mr Somanath explained.<\/p>\n
According to him, the lander will have four payloads: Chandra’s Surface Thermo Physical Experiment (ChaSTE) will carry out the measurements of thermal properties of lunar surface near polar region.<\/p>\n
RAMBHA-LP payload will measure the near surface plasma (ions and electrons) density and its changes with time; Laser Retroreflector Array from NASA for accurate positioning measurement of the lander on lunar surface by future orbiters; and Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity.<\/p>\n
The rover named \u2018Pragyan’ will have three payloads: The Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) will determine the elemental composition of lunar soil and rocks around the lunar landing site.<\/p>\n
The Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) payload will derive the chemical composition and infer mineralogical composition to further enhance our understanding of the lunar surface.<\/p>\n
Spectro-polarimetry of Habitable Planet Earth (SHAPE) is an experimental payload in Pragyan to study the spectro-polarimetric signature of the habitable planet Earth in the near-infrared (NIR) wavelength range.<\/p>\n
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)<\/i><\/p>\n
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