India lights up the dark side of the moon

India lights up the dark side of the moon

Subject: Science and Technology

Section: Space technology

Context:

India has become the fourth country to successfully land on the moon as the Chandrayaan-3’s lander module, with the rover in its belly, successfully made a soft landing on the lunar surface near the south pole

Chandrayaan-3 Mission:

• India successfully landed the Chandrayaan-3’s lander module with a rover on the moon’s surface.
• Communication link established between the lander and MOX-ISTRAC, Bengaluru.
• Vikram lander of Chandrayaan-2 failed in 2019, but Chandrayaan-3’s landing was successful.
• Powered descent had four phases:

1. rough braking,
2. attitude-hold,
3. fine-braking, and
4. terminal descent phase.

• The lander completed each phase seamlessly and made a safe landing.
• Prime Minister hailed the achievement as reaching the Moon’s South Pole.
• The lander will deploy a rover for in-situ chemical analysis and experiments.
• Mission life of one Lunar day (14 Earth days).
• Launched on July 14 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.

Exploring the Moon’s South Pole:

• The Moon’s South Pole is a focus of scientific interest due to its mysteries.
• Water ice present in permanently shadowed craters could potentially sustain a human presence.
• The Moon’s South Pole has ultra-cold temperatures of -414F (-248C) due to its atmosphere absence, creating conditions suitable for water ice preservation.
• Chandrayaan-1 found evidence of water on the Moon in 2008.
• Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (NASA) data supports the presence of water ice.
• Water has pragmatic value for future human missions, including drinking water and rocket propellant.
• However, it’s essential to determine the accessibility and mineability of this water for practical use in future lunar missions.

Scientific and Practical Importance:

• Water in cold polar regions might provide insights into the solar system’s history.
• Solar power potential at the lunar south pole.
• A large impact crater at the lunar south pole holds geological significance.
  • Lunar pole exploration offers new insights due to different light and thermal conditions.

Future Lunar Exploration:

• Russia is planning more Luna missions.
• China and Russia have plans to build a lunar space station.
• Japan is preparing to send a smart lander (the SLIM mission) on 26 August.
• NASA’s Artemis program aims to put astronauts back on the Moon in a series of spaceflights.
• India is planning a joint Lunar Polar Exploration (LuPEX) mission with Japan to explore the shadowed regions or the “dark side of the Moon” by 2026.