The historic Chandrayaan 3 launch countdown has begun as India's third lunar mission will occur on July 14, 2023. Chandrayaan 3 will be launched in orbit on Friday at around 2:35 pm. Ever since the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced that Chandrayaan 3 will soar toward the moon on July 14, a reminder of the unfortunate failure of Chandrayaan 2 till haunts the people of India. The images and videos of (then) ISRO Chief K Sivan breaking down and PM Modi consoling him are still fresh in the people's memories. To be precise, Chandrayaan-3 is India’s third lunar exploration mission and as per ISRO it is ready to take off in the fourth operational mission (M4) of LVM3 launcher. The Chandrayaan 3 mission is another attempt of ISRO to demonstrate to the world that it has aced soft landing on the lunar surface by its lunar module and demonstrated roving on the lunar terrain. If Chandrayaan 3 turns out to be a success, then India will be the fourth country in an elite club of nations that accomplished lunar missions with a soft landing. Notably, China, the USA, and the former Soviet Union have already achieved this feat. Now, the question arise how Chandrayaan 3 is different from Chandrayaan 2. To know the answer continue reading-
Difference between Chandrayaan 3 and Chandrayaan 2
It is obvious that people query the difference between Chandrayaan 3 and Chandrayaan 2 due to the fact that ISRO failed to achieve its desired outcome As per the official release of ISRO, the difference between Chandrayaan 3 and Chandrayaan 2 lies in their specifications. The Chandrayaan-3 has got two lander hazard detection and avoidance cameras as compared to Chandrayaan-2, which only carried one such camera, and Chandrayaan-3's cameras are designed to be more robust than its predecessor. Furthermore, the space organisation has also conducted lander leg mechanism performance test on Chandrayaan-3 to ensure the strength of the legs. On the other hand, the Chandrayaan-2 comprised of an Orbiter, Vikram Lander, and Pragyan Rover, whereas the Chandrayaan-3 consists of a Lander module (LM), Propulsion module (PM), and a Rover. It carries a payload called Spectro-polarimetry of Habitable Planet Earth (SHAPE), equipped with the propulsion model. The orbiter from Chandrayaan-2 will be used for the upcoming mission.
Chandrayaan-3 mission:
— ISRO (@isro) July 11, 2023
The ‘Launch Rehearsal’ simulating the entire launch preparation and process lasting 24 hours has been concluded.
Mission brochure: https://t.co/cCnH05sPcW pic.twitter.com/oqV1TYux8V
What went wrong during Chandrayaan 2 mission?
For those who have forgotten or are unaware, during the Chandrayaan 2 mission led by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the Vikram lander experienced a loss of communication less than two minutes before its planned landing on the moon. The lander was a mere 2.1 km away from achieving a significant milestone as the first-ever spacecraft to softly land near the lunar South Pole. The lander of the Chandrayaan-2 moon mission was attempting a controlled landing near the lunar South Pole, a region believed to potentially contain water ice. Unfortunately, communication with the lander was lost during the critical final phase as it approached the moon’s surface. As per ISRO chairman Sreedhara Somanath, the crash was attributed to a software malfunction.
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What ISRO is doing to not repeat its mistake again?
ISRO Chairman S Somanath in an interview with a portal stated that the ISRO has learned from its failure. S Somnath was quoted saying,, "The objective of the Chandrayaan-2 was landing on the moon which could not be accomplished. We learned from that experience and reaching there was a great journey. The scientific objective of the orbital part is well accomplished. This time we are targeting the scientific objective of the Land and the rover must be accomplished which can be done only by the soft landing, and it is necessary for the next part of the mission. We have to note the failure of the last mission and have corrected this time."