India’s space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has released images captured by its Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft as it makes its way to the lunar south pole for a landing attempt. This comes just days after a Russian lander failed in its mission. The race to land on the lunar south pole has been fierce, as this region is believed to contain water ice that could potentially support future moon settlements.
While Russia’s Luna-25 mission faced failure, ISRO remains confident in Chandrayaan-3’s success. The spacecraft is expected to land on August 23, and the space agency assures that all systems are working perfectly with no anticipated contingencies on the landing day.
This is India’s second attempt to land on the lunar south pole. In 2019, ISRO’s Chandrayaan-2 mission successfully deployed an orbiter, but its lander crashed. The challenging terrain of the south pole makes landing difficult, but a successful landing would be historic and could provide valuable resources for future missions.
Images released by ISRO show craters on the moon’s surface captured by the spacecraft’s Lander Hazard Detection and Avoidance Camera. These images help in identifying a safe landing location.
The Chandrayaan-3 mission holds significant importance for India. A successful landing would establish India as a space power and boost its reputation worldwide. It would also showcase India’s cost-competitive space engineering capabilities, as the mission’s budget is relatively low compared to Hollywood productions.
If the mission succeeds, India will become the fourth country to successfully land on the moon, following the former USSR, the United States, and China. The acquisition of new technology through a successful landing is seen as a major milestone for India’s space agency.
ISRO scientists have learned from the previous mission’s failure and have made changes to Chandrayaan-3 to increase the likelihood of a successful landing. This includes expanding the landing zone and equipping the spacecraft with more fuel, solar panels, and sturdier legs.
India’s nascent space industry also expects a boost from a successful mission. Since India opened up to private launches in 2020, the number of space startups in the country has more than doubled.
The anticipation for the landing is palpable, with industry executives and space enthusiasts eagerly awaiting the outcome. The next three days will be crucial, and the success of Chandrayaan-3 will further solidify India’s position in the field of space exploration.