Highlights:
– Indian space agency ISRO has established communication between Chandrayaan-2 orbiter and the latest lander of Chandrayaan-3 mission.
– The communication system between the orbiter and the lander will serve as a backup communication channel for ISRO.
– The Chandrayaan-3 mission includes a propulsion module, lander, and rover. ISRO is currently conducting tests on the propulsion module system.
– The landing is expected to take place near the south pole of the moon, with the lander descending to an altitude of around 100 kilometers.
– The main objective of the Chandrayaan-3 mission is soft landing the lander on the moon’s surface and conducting experiments for one lunar day.
Chandrayaan-3, the latest lunar mission of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), is in its final phase. According to ISRO, the latest lunar lander has established communication with the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter, which has been orbiting the moon since 2019. The Chandrayaan-2 orbiter relayed this message to the lander, which was taken to the moon by the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft earlier this year.
In a tweet on Monday, ISRO confirmed that bidirectional communication has been established between the two. The Indian space agency also stated that there are multiple paths for communication with the lander near the Mission Operations Complex. In other words, the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter will serve as a backup communication channel for ISRO, in case there are any issues with the lander and rover.
The Chandrayaan-3 mission consists of a propulsion module weighing 2,148 kilograms, a lander weighing 1,723.89 kilograms, and a rover weighing 26 kilograms. Recently, the lander module separated from the propulsion module, and the propulsion module is currently orbiting the moon at an altitude of 25 kilometers x 134 kilometers. ISRO is conducting checks on the propulsion module system, and the designated landing site is awaiting sunrise for the descent to begin.
ISRO has stated that the powered descent is expected to begin at around 17:45 hours on August 23, 2023. The primary communication channel for the Chandrayaan-3 propulsion module will be the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) located in the Mission Operations Complex in Bangalore, which will communicate with the lander and rover.
As per ISRO’s plans, the lander is expected to touch down near the lunar south pole at around 6:04 pm on August 23, 2023. The lander will descend from an altitude of approximately 100 kilometers above the lunar surface. The main objective of India’s third moon mission, which costs around 600 crore rupees, is to achieve a soft landing on the moon with the lander. After the soft landing, the six-wheeled rover will be deployed and will conduct experiments on the lunar surface for a duration of one lunar day, which is equivalent to 14 days on Earth.
