Ex-ISRO Chief Anticipates Chandrayaan-3 Lunar Landing
Former ISRO chief K Sivan has expressed his views on upcoming space missions as Chandrayaan-3 approaches its lunar touchdown. Chandrayaan-3, which is a follow-up to the Chandrayaan-2 mission, intends to demonstrate India’s proficiency in secure lunar landings and exploration. The mission incorporates a propulsion module, lander module, and rover to evaluate novel interplanetary technologies.
The propulsion module took the lander and rover into lunar orbit 100 kilometers above the lunar surface. It will also carry the SHAPE payload for Earth exploration from lunar orbit. The goals of the mission include demonstrating a safe landing, rover research on the Moon and conducting scientific experiments on site.
K Sivan’s vision of India’s space future
K Sivan, former ISRO chief, emphasized the need for bigger funding and bigger and more sophisticated rockets in the future. He said frugal engineering alone is not enough and that India should invest in powerful rockets and advanced technology. Sivan told NDTV that he lauded the government’s decision to involve private industries in space activities.
ISRO’s Landing Challenge
On the other hand, S Somnath, chairman of ISRO, highlighted the challenge of moving the lander from horizontal to vertical during landing. This is a critical moment, as the lander’s speed drops from as low as 1.68 km per second. He emphasized that this transition to vertical was where Chandrayaan-2 ran into trouble, Business Today reported.
Luna 25 vs. Chandrayaan-3
Interestingly, Russia’s Luna 25 spacecraft, launched nearly a month after Chandrayaan-3, is attempting a soft landing at the Moon’s south pole on August 21, two days before Chandrayaan-3’s scheduled Vikram Lander touchdown. Luna 25’s rapid journey, completed in just 10 days, can be attributed to the use of the Soyuz-2 Fregat booster. In contrast, ISRO chose the Launch Vehicle Mark-III M4 rocket for Chandrayaan-3, which required five Earth orbit lifts before reaching lunar orbit.
In short, as India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission moves towards a moon landing, former ISRO chief K Sivan highlights the need for increased investment in space technology, bigger rockets and the promising role of private industry in the future of space exploration. Meanwhile, Chandrayaan-3 competes with Russia’s Luna 25, which is slated to achieve rapid landing on the Moon using a different approach.
