Tag: moon exploration

Chandrayaan 3 mission: Pragyan rover detects oxygen, other elements on Moon; hunt underway for hydrogen

Chandrayaan-3 rover confirms presence of sulphur in lunar surface, search for Hydrogen underway: ISRO

Chandrayaan-3 Pragyan rover roams around the ‘Shiv Shakti Point’, Vikram’ lander’s touchdown spot, on the Moon at the south pole. (PTI)

The Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope instrument onboard ‘Pragyan’ rover of Chandrayaan-3 has “unambiguously confirmed” the presence of sulphur in the lunar surface near south pole.

“Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) instrument onboard the Rover unambiguously confirms the presence of Sulphur (S) in the lunar surface near the south pole, through first-ever in-situ measurements. Al, Ca, Fe, Cr, Ti, Mn, Si, and O are also detected, as expected. Search for Hydrogen (H) is underway,” the space agency tweeted.

The space probe had earlier posted a message for ‘earthlings’ telling the world that it was on its way to ‘uncover the secrets of the Moon’.

“Me and my friend Vikram Lander are in touch. We’re in good health. The best is coming soon,” the Pragyan Rover had earlier tweeted via ISRO InSight.

ISRO informed on Monday that the Pragyan Rover had come across a 4-meter diameter crater on the lunar surface some 3 meters ahead of its location. It had then been commanded to retrace its path and head down a new, safer route.

Scientists say that the rover is currently in a “race against time” with ISRO working to cover a maximum distance of the uncharted South pole through the six-wheeled vehicle. Two of the moon mission objectives – soft landing on the lunar surface and movement of the Pragyan rover – have already been achieved. The rover and lander continues to obtain science data via attached payloads.

Source : https://www.livemint.com/science/news/chandrayaan-3-mission-pragyan-rover-detects-oxygen-other-elements-on-moon-hunt-underway-for-hydrogen-11693322317076.html

Lunar south pole: Why nations are vying to plant their flags on the dark side of the moon

Untouched by sunlight for billions of years, the craters at the moon’s south pole offer an undisturbed record of the solar system’s origins.

With deep craters, termed ‘cold traps’, the moon’s south pole is expected to host a vast reservoir of water ice in permanently shadowed regions. (Image: @isro/Twitter)

The lunar south pole, with its deep craters engulfed in unending darkness, has enticed various nations to try and plant their flags there. According to NASA, the region is full of “mystery, science and intrigue”.

With the primary aim of putting a lander and a rover on the moon’s highlands near its south pole, Chandrayaan-3 has made India the first country to softly land a spacecraft in this particular region. India is now the fourth country to achieve a soft landing on the moon, after the United States, the Soviet Union and China.

Last week, Luna-25, Russia’s first moon-landing spacecraft in nearly half a century, crashed into the moon after reportedly spinning out of control. Meanwhile, the US is said to be planning a crewed mission to land humans at the site in 2025. China is also planning a mission to the area before the end of the decade.

With deep craters, termed ‘cold traps’, the moon’s south pole is expected to host a vast reservoir of water ice in permanently shadowed regions.

According to a report by NBC News, NASA administrator Bill Nelson has said that the area is far more treacherous than the site of the first moon landing in 1969. NASA is also said to be preparing for a return to the moon’s surface with the Artemis II mission next year.

“Most lunar missions target the Moon’s south pole as the landing site because the lunar poles harbour an environment that represents the remarkable diversity on Earth, and are strikingly distinct from the familiar middle latitudes,” Manish Purohit, a former ISRO scientist involved in the Mangalyaan and Chandrayaan-2 missions, told ABP Live.

However, it is no easy feat for a nation. A BBC report stated that transporting equipment from Earth to the Moon involves overcoming the Earth’s gravitational pull. “The larger the equipment, the more rocket and fuel load would be needed for a successful landing. The new commercial space companies charge around $1m to take a kilogram of payload to the moon,” it said.

Source: https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/technology/lunar-south-pole-why-nations-are-vying-to-plant-their-flags-on-the-dark-side-of-the-moon-11245351.html

PM Modi names Chandrayaan-3 landing point on Moon as ‘Shivshakti’

PM Modi arrived in Bengaluru early Saturday morning after concluding his visit to South Africa and Greece.

PM Narendra Modi waves the Indian flag while watching the telecast of Chandrayaan-3’s successful soft landing on the Moon’s surface. Credit: PTI File Photo

The spot where Chandrayaan-3 landed on the Moon will be known as ‘Shivshakti’, announced Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday in an emotional address to ISRO scientists.

He further announced that the spot on the lunar surface where the Chandrayaan-2 left its footprints will be known as ‘Tiranga’. “This will be an inspiration for every effort made by India. it will remind us any failure is not final…,” he added.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/pm-modi-names-chandrayaan-3-landing-point-on-moon-as-shivshakti-2661852

Chandrayaan-3 All Set to Make History With Soft-landing on Moon | When & Where to Watch

Indians are waiting with bated breath for the historic lunar landing of Chandrayaan-3 on Wednesday evening. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Tuesday said in an update that the Chandrayaan-3 mission is on schedule.

According to ISRO, India’s pursuit of space exploration will reach a remarkable milestone if the Chandrayaan-3 mission is able to achieve a soft landing on the surface of the Moon. The space organization also said that this achievement will mark a significant step forward for India in the fields of Science, Engineering, Technology, and Industry and will symbolise our nation’s progress in space exploration.

CHANDRAYAAN 3 LANDING: WHEN TO WATCH?

ISRO will broadcast the event live on August 23, from 5.27 pm IST on its official website. Chandrayaan-3 is expected to land on the moon around 6:04 pm.

The organization took to X, formerly known as Twitter to make the announcement for the same.

Chandrayaan 3 Live Streaming: WHERE TO WATCH?

People can watch the moon landing of Chandrayaan 3 live on ISRO’s YouTube channel, its Facebook page, and the DD National TV channel. One can also catch the latest updates on the lunar landing on CNN-News18 and other major TV news platforms in the country.

ISRO Website: www.isro.gov.in

ISRO Facebook: Facebook.com/ISRO

ISRO YouTube: https://t.ly/NfI-B

DD National: www.youtube.com/@DoordarshanNational

CNN-News18 YouTube: t.ly/RAGts

Track Live Updates at CNN-News18 website: www.news18.com

ALL ABOUT CHANDRAYAAN 3

The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is the third lunar exploration mission planned by ISRO following the failed Chandrayaan-2 mission. The mission serves as a continuation of the Chandrayaan-2 mission in 2019 and aims to showcase the complete capability of safe landing and roving on the lunar surface.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/chandrayaan-3-landing-when-where-how-to-watch-online-live-streaming-moon-land-landing-8546070.html

Chandrayaan-3 Leaves Earth’s Orbit, Next Stop Moon: ISRO

Chandrayaan-3 has completed its orbits around the earth and is heading towards the moon, the national space agency headquartered said.

The Indian Space Research Organisation on Tuesday injected the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft into the translunar orbit.
“Chandrayaan-3 has completed its orbits around the earth and is heading towards the moon,” the national space agency headquartered here said.

“A successful perigee-firing performed at ISTRAC (ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network). ISRO has injected the spacecraft into the translunar orbit,” it said.

“Next stop: the moon. As it arrives at the moon, the Lunar-Orbit Insertion (LOI) is planned for August 5, 2023,” it added.

An ISRO official told PTI that following Tuesday’s trans-lunar injection (TLI), the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft escaped from orbiting the earth and is now following a path that would take it to the vicinity of the Moon.

In other words, the spacecraft began its journey towards the Moon on Tuesday, after leaving the Earth’s orbit following the TLI maneuver, which placed it on ‘lunar transfer trajectory’.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had said it would attempt soft landing of the lander on the lunar surface on August 23.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/chandrayaan-3-leaves-earths-orbit-next-stop-is-moon-isro-4257254

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