India shoots for the Moon with Chandrayaan-3: 10 facts you must know

Here are ten interesting facts you didn't know about ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 mission, which took off successfully on July 14

India's space agency launched its homegrown Chandrayaan-3 moon mission from the southeastern island of Sriharikota at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on July 14 at 2:35 pm local time (09:05 GMT).

Built on a budget of just under Rs 615 crore, Chandrayaan – "moon vehicle" in Sanskrit – will attempt to land a rover on the Moon and establish India as a formidable force in space exploration.

As the spacecraft is headed towards the Moon, here are ten facts that you might not have known about it: 

1. Chandrayaan-3 is the third Moon exploration project undertaken by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), and commenced from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre located in Sriharikota, India.

 

2. The lunar mission is expected to incorporate several improvements based on the lessons learnt from the Chandrayaan-2 voyage.

3. Chandrayaan-3 is looking to achieve a groundbreaking feat as the first mission to softly land in close proximity to the lunar south pole, unlike all previous spacecraft that landed a few degrees north or south of the lunar equator.

Also Read: Chandrayaan-3: Vikram Lander successfully separates from propulsion module

4. Chandrayaan-3 features a Lander Module (LM), a Propulsion Module (PM), and a rover. The LM will facilitate a soft lunar landing, while the PM will handle propulsion and control. The rover's job will be to explore the lunar surface and collect scientific data.

5. The lander and rover are specifically designed to function for a single lunar daylight period. This is equivalent to approximately 14 Earth days.

6. In homage to the celebrated Indian scientist Vikram Sarabhai, the lander for the Chandrayaan-3 mission is named "Vikram."

7. The rover accompanying the Chandrayaan-3 mission is aptly named "Pragyan," derived from the Sanskrit word meaning "wisdom."

8. Chandrayaan-3 marks the fourth mission of the GSLV Mk III or LVM3 rocket, which will be responsible for taking the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft weighing 3,900 kg (3.9 tonnes) to the Moon.

9. Chandrayaan-3 aims to explore the lunar surface, conduct scientific experiments, and gather valuable data to enhance our understanding of the Moon's geology and its evolution.

10. To date, only three countries have successfully achieved lunar landings — the United States, the former Soviet Union, and China. India is aiming to be the fourth.