India Makes Historic Achievement with Successful Lunar Landing
The Lander Module of India’s Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission has successfully touched down on the Moon’s surface, marking a significant achievement. India has now become the first country to successfully land near the Moon’s south pole, adding to its space exploration accomplishments.
Chandrayaan-3’s Lander Module Touchdown
On August 23, the Lander Module of Chandrayaan-3, ISRO’s third lunar mission, achieved a successful landing on the Moon. This achievement places India among a select group of countries, including the former USSR, the U.S., and China, that have achieved soft landings on the lunar surface.
Euphoric Celebrations at ISRO
At precisely 6:03 p.m., the Lander touched down on the lunar surface, prompting joyous celebrations at ISRO’s Mission Operations Complex in Bengaluru. The Lander then deployed the Rover, which will conduct on-site chemical analysis of the Moon’s surface during its mobility. The Rover, designed for a mission duration of 14 Earth days (one Lunar day), carries scientific payloads for experiments on the lunar surface.
Parent’s Pride: Father of Project Director Shares Joy
Palanivel, the father of Chandrayaan-3’s project director P. Veeramuthuvel, expressed his happiness and pride in his son’s hard work. Watching the mission’s live feed from their home, Palanivel cheered for ISRO’s success in landing on the Moon.
Rover’s Tasks and Scientific Payloads
With Chandrayaan-3’s successful soft landing, the Rover module begins a 14-day mission to conduct experiments and gather data on the lunar surface. The Rover is equipped with scientific payloads, including an Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) for chemical composition analysis and a Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) for elemental composition analysis of lunar soil and rocks.
Team Effort Leads to Success
The success of Chandrayaan-3 is credited to the dedicated efforts of the entire team, from launch to landing. Project Director P. Veeramuthuvel highlighted the flawless execution of the mission and praised the combined efforts of all team members.
Chandrayaan-3 Mission:
Updates:The communication link is established between the Ch-3 Lander and MOX-ISTRAC, Bengaluru.
Here are the images from the Lander Horizontal Velocity Camera taken during the descent. #Chandrayaan_3#Ch3 pic.twitter.com/ctjpxZmbom
— ISRO (@isro) August 23, 2023
International Recognition and Congratulations
The landing of Chandrayaan-3 garnered international recognition. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov congratulated India on its achievement. Indian leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, also praised the accomplishment as a milestone in scientific progress.
Former ISRO Chief K Sivan’s Joy
Former ISRO Chief K Sivan expressed excitement over Chandrayaan-3’s success, emphasizing the global significance of the mission’s scientific data. He highlighted the government’s support and the mission’s contributions to global scientific discovery.
In Conclusion
Chandrayaan-3’s successful lunar landing stands as a testament to India’s advancements in space exploration. The mission’s achievements hold promise for further scientific exploration and international collaboration.