Chandrayaan-3's Landmark Lunar Landing: India's Tense 20 Minutes

India's Chandrayaan-3 is on the verge of etching its name into the history of space exploration as it embarks on a daring mission to gently place the Vikram Lander, carrying the Pragyaan rover, near the moon's southern pole.

On the upcoming Wednesday evening, the nation will collectively hold its breath as the Vikram lander begins its delicate descent to the lunar surface, subjecting itself to a heart-pounding 20 minutes of suspense, reminiscent of the intensity of a T-20 cricket match.

The Moon-Travel Process

Following a majestic liftoff, ISRO's robust Bahubali rocket, also known as the Mark-3 launch vehicle, propelled Chandrayaan-3 into orbit. 

The spaceship progressively picked up speed as it traveled around Earth on elliptical routes.

On August 1, Chandrayaan-3 commenced its 3.84 lakh km journey towards the moon. By August 5, it gracefully entered the moon's orbit and stabilized itself for several days.

In a pivotal and intricate maneuver on August 17, the propulsion module separated from the Vikram lander, carrying the Pragyaan rover, while the satellite continued to orbit at an altitude of 153 km by 163 km. 

The propulsion module retained its orbital position around the moon at a consistent altitude

Subsequently, the Vikram lander drew closer to the lunar surface, reaching a 134 km by 25 km elliptical orbit, marking a milestone reminiscent of Chandrayaan-2's success.

The Daring Descent

The momentous day arrives, marking the onset of 20 minutes filled with tension. Following commands from Bengaluru, the Vikram lander commences its descent from an altitude of 25 km.

In a powered descent, the lander hurtles towards the moon's surface at an astonishing speed of 1.68 km per second, approximately 6048 km per hour, nearly ten times the speed of an airplane.

During this descent, the lander undergoes a rough braking phase, lasting around 11 minutes, before transitioning to the 'fine braking phase.'

It's worth noting that the Chandrayaan-2 mission faced a setback during the fine braking phase when the Vikram lander lost control and tragically crashed.

At a mere 800 meters above the lunar surface, both horizontal and vertical velocities are reduced to zero, and the Vikram lander hovers meticulously, surveying the landing area.

As it descends further, it hovers once more at a height of 150 meters to gather crucial photos for hazard detection and choose the best landing location.

The Vikram lander finally makes contact with the lunar surface, with only two engines firing, while its specially designed legs absorb the impact at a maximum rate of 3m/second, equivalent to about 10.8 km per hour.

Upon landing, the engines deactivate, bringing an end to the heart-pounding 20 minutes.

The lunar regolith stirred up during the landing gradually settles, and the ramp is deployed. The Pragyaan Rover is gently lowered to the surface.

As the Pragyaan Rover touches the lunar terrain, it gains the freedom to explore its surroundings.

A momentous occasion occurs as the Vikram lander captures images of the rover, reciprocated by the Pragyaan rover. 

India sent back its first lunar selfies in the form of these pictures.

The start of scientific exploration

A successful landing will pave the way for in-depth scientific investigation.

Both the Vikram lander and rover are solar-powered and designed to endure one lunar day, equivalent to 14 Earth days.

If all proceeds as planned, India will join the exclusive ranks of nations that have softly landed on celestial bodies, marking a significant milestone for ISRO and an extraordinary achievement for a nation of 1.4 billion people in the realm of space exploration

Tags: #Chandrayaan3 #Chandrayaan3updates #Chandrayaan3landing #LunarLanding #ISRO #SpaceExploration #VikramLander #LunarMission #India'sSpaceProgram #SpaceScience #MooMission #MissionSuccess #HistoricalMoment #SpaceTechnology #LunarDescent #MoonLandingChallenges #SoftLandingontheMoon

Writer: Chintu nath