India’s Propulsion Module Returns to Earth’s Orbit
India’s space agency, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), recently announced that the propulsion module that powered its spacecraft to a historic moon landing has just transitioned back into Earth’s orbit. This move comes as a pivotal step in testing the potential for India to one day return samples of lunar soil.
The propulsion module, which had more fuel remaining than initially anticipated, is now back in Earth’s orbit after propelling the Chandrayaan-3 mission’s lunar lander during its journey to the moon. The lander successfully achieved touchdown on August 23, making India the fourth country in the world to land a vehicle on the moon’s surface.
The Vikram lander and Pragyan, a six-wheeled rover deployed by the lander, carried out planned science experiments before entering a dormant state for the lunar night. Despite unsuccessful attempts to awaken the vehicles, ISRO deemed the mission a complete success.
The propulsion module, meanwhile, remained in lunar orbit, serving as a data relay point and carrying out the SHAPE experiment. This experiment sought to observe Earth from lunar orbit, providing valuable insight into the characteristics of our planet that make it habitable for humans.
The unexpected surplus of fuel in the propulsion module has opened up new possibilities for future lunar missions. With over 100 kg of fuel now available, ISRO aims to use this additional information to inform strategies for a sample return mission, potentially bringing lunar soil back to Earth.
Additionally, India had previously tested a method to vault the Chandrayaan-3 lander back from the moon’s surface after landing, adding to the innovative developments in space exploration undertaken by the nation.
As the propulsion module continues orbiting about 96,000 miles above Earth, ISRO has carefully mapped out its trajectory to ensure collision avoidance with the moon’s surface and the Earth’s geostationary orbit, which is a critical area for communications satellites.
This latest development highlights India’s growing presence in space exploration and its ambitious aspirations for future missions to the moon. With the propulsion module’s return to Earth’s orbit, ISRO is taking significant strides toward paving the way for innovative space exploration and scientific discoveries.